Suda 51’s Grasshopper officially regains independence from NetEase, avoiding studio cull

Goichi Suda’s Grasshopper Manufacture has officially become independent of its former parent company, NetEase Games, it’s announced.

The No More Heroes studio was acquired by NetEase back in 2021, as part of the Chinese company’s acquisition spree of Japanese and international studios.

However, since the pandemic, NetEase has dramatically pulled back on its global investments, closing a roster of studios.

In a statement, Grasshopper said: “This past February, Grasshopper Manufacture released its latest title, Romeo Is A Dead Man, and celebrated its 28th anniversary in March. Thanks to the support of players worldwide, Romeo Is A Dead Man received high acclaim and great reviews.

“Our whole studio would like to extend our sincerest thanks to everyone who enjoyed the game, and to everyone who worked tirelessly toward making its release possible.

“Having finally completed this all-hands project, as we reflected on the next stage of Grasshopper Manufacture’s future, we found a strong desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles to video game lovers everywhere.

“As such, Grasshopper Manufacture has chosen to move forward as an independent developer once again.”

The statement continues: “This decision was reached after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, and with their generous cooperation. We continue to cherish the amazing relationship our companies have built, and look forward to further collaboration when the opportunity arises.

“Having improved our own self-publishing know-how, we now have a broad range of options available to us, and regardless of how our games may be published we remain committed to creating unique titles featuring the ‘NO GAME NO LIFE’ gaming experience expected of Grasshopper Manufacture with our own signature flavor and further enhanced quality.

“We hope you will continue to watch over Grasshopper Manufacture as we make this next leap forward and move on to our upcoming 30th anniversary and beyond. We sincerely hope for and deeply appreciate your ongoing support for our studio and the titles we will create in the future.”

NetEase’s decision to scale back its international operations has caused chaos across its various studios, with several forced to close and others seeking new funding.

In addition to the initial closure of T-Minus, FPC, and Bad Brain, NetEase split from Vancouver-based Worlds Untold, the studio it founded with Mass Effect writer Mac Walters in 2023, as well as Seattle-based Jar of Sparks, the studio founded in 2022 by Xbox veteran Jerry Hook.

Ouka Studio, the Tokyo-based developer behind Square Enix’s Visions of Mana, was also closed in 2024. Other Japanese studios, like Grasshopper and Resident Evil producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi’s GPTRACK50, have pushed ahead with release plans without NetEase’s continued support.

The new studio founded by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi is also reportedly facing closure after NetEase indicated that it will pull funding for its debut title.