Grasshopper Manufacture splits from NetEase and goes independent again
Grasshopper Manufacture is going independent again.
The Tokyo studio will separate from NetEase Games with effect from 1 October 2026, according to its formal announcement carried by GamesPress. The move ends five years as a subsidiary and returns the maker of the No More Heroes series to life as an independent developer, a studio that funds and controls its own projects.
The studio said it chose to move forward as an independent developer again after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, as reported by Video Games Chronicle. The split is friendly. Both sides describe it as a mutual decision.
Chief executive Goichi Suda, also known as Suda51, said independence would let Grasshopper make games across a wider variety of styles, according to Noisy Pixel. Suda added that the two companies remain on good terms and could work together again in future.
The separation closes a chapter that began in 2021. NetEase Games acquired the company that year, with the acquisition agreement signed on 31 May 2021. Grasshopper, headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, continued to operate under Suda as chief executive during its time in the group.
Grasshopper arrives at independence with fresh momentum. It released Romeo Is A Dead Man in February and celebrated its 28th anniversary in March. Those milestones bookend a busy year for a mid-sized studio known for offbeat action games and bold visual design.
What makes this stand out is the rarity of the reverse journey. Studios are often bought. Fewer buy their way back out intact, with leadership, staff and catalogue plans unchanged. For players, this means the next Grasshopper game will come from a team answering to itself, with NetEase no longer as owner.
