Grasshopper Manufacture Regains Independence From NetEase

Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. announced on September 30, 2026 that the Tokyo studio has become independent of its former parent company NetEase Games, with the change effective as of October 1, 2026. The announcement was signed by Goichi Suda, the studio’s representative director and chief executive.

In the statement, Suda said the studio released its latest title, Romeo Is A Dead Man, in February 2026 and celebrated its 28th anniversary in March 2026. The company said the game received high acclaim and great reviews, and it thanked players worldwide along with everyone who worked toward making the 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,” Suda said. He said the studio has chosen to move forward as an independent developer once again.

Suda said the studio has improved its self-publishing know-how and now has what he described as a broad range of options. Regardless of how its games may be published, he said, Grasshopper Manufacture remains committed to creating unique titles featuring what the company calls the “NO GAME NO LIFE” gaming experience, delivered with its signature flavor and further enhanced quality.

“This decision was reached after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, and with their generous cooperation,” Suda said. He added that the two companies continue to cherish the relationship they have built and look forward to further collaboration when the opportunity arises, and he pointed toward the studio’s upcoming 30th anniversary.

The 2021 NetEase Agreement

The studio had been part of NetEase Games since 2021. Grasshopper Manufacture announced on October 22, 2021 that it would join the company under an equity transfer agreement signed on May 31, 2021, describing the move at the time as an opportunity to rethink its development and organization structure following its 23rd anniversary in March 2021.

In that announcement, Suda said he had long been aware of NetEase’s creative capabilities and that the two sides resonated when discussing the idea of developing more unique console games together. The announcement described NetEase Games as the online games division of NetEase, Inc., developing and operating mobile and PC games in markets including China and Japan.

Under the arrangement, the 2021 announcement said NetEase Games would advise on business planning and provide sufficient funding for game development, while Grasshopper Manufacture remained responsible for the creativity and production of its games. The studio was also to receive support in game art and quality assurance from a NetEase team of thousands of artists and technical experts, and the announcement set a goal of offering three higher-quality “Grasshopper Manufacture Games” to players over the following ten years.

In a message included in the 2021 announcement, NetEase Games said it was honored to accompany Suda and the studio on what it called a new journey, and that it hoped to give the studio creative freedom and sufficient resource support to create even more sensational works for gamers worldwide.

Studio Profile and Recent Releases

According to its corporate profile, Grasshopper Manufacture was established on March 30, 1998, employs 40 people and holds capital of 10,000,000 yen. Its business outline covers the planning, development and distribution of home console video game software and digital content, and its listed major clients include Active Gaming Media Inc., Marvelous Inc. and Nintendo Co., Ltd. The company says it has developed more than 25 games across more than 25 years of console-focused development, with Suda responsible for the scripting and production of many of its works.

The company’s notable releases include the No More Heroes series, killer7 and The Silver Case series. During the NetEase period, the studio launched Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered on October 31, 2024, with NetEase Entertainment Interactive Pte. Ltd. as publisher across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam. Romeo Is A Dead Man followed on February 11, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Steam, published by Grasshopper Manufacture itself at $49.99 and rated Mature by the ESRB. The studio describes the game as an action title built around FBI Space-Time Police Special Agent Romeo Stargazer and what it calls ultra-violent science fiction.

The studio’s return to independence takes effect on October 1, 2026. The announcement noted that procedures including changes to the company’s board members are currently in progress.