Grasshopper Manufacture is independent once again, as the studio founded by Goichi “Suda51” Suda has officially split from NetEase Games and will move forward on its own.
The announcement comes five years after NetEase acquired Grasshopper Manufacture from GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021. At the time, the two companies described the arrangement as a way to give Grasshopper additional resources while allowing the studio to maintain its creative identity, with NetEase providing business support, funding, and assistance from its artists and technical teams.
Now, following the completion and release of ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN earlier this year, Grasshopper Manufacture has decided to return to independent development. Suda said the studio began considering its next stage after finishing the project and found a strong desire to create games across an even wider variety of styles for players around the world.
Suda also described the relationship with NetEase positively, noting that the decision followed discussions between the two companies and thanking NetEase for its cooperation. He added that Grasshopper Manufacture values the relationship it developed with the company and hopes there may be opportunities to work together again in the future.
The split marks the end of a notable chapter for Grasshopper Manufacture, which continued developing games under NetEase while retaining the distinctive creative identity associated with Suda51. The studio’s work during that period included titles such as No More Heroes III, Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered, and ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN.
With Grasshopper Manufacture now independent again, the studio has not announced what its next project will be. For now, the company is looking ahead after completing ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, with Suda’s comments suggesting that its return to independence will give the team an opportunity to pursue a broader range of ideas in the years ahead.