Grasshopper Manufacture has split from former parent company NetEase Games and is moving forward as an independent developer once again, the studio announced, according to Gematsu (Sal Romano, September 30, 2026). NetEase Games acquired the studio from previous parent GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021.
Representative director and CEO Goichi Suda framed the break as a creative reset after shipping the studio’s latest title and marking a major anniversary. “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 in the studio statement carried by Gematsu. Grasshopper, he added, has chosen to move forward as an independent developer once again.
That all-hands project was Romeo Is a Dead Man, released this past February; the studio then celebrated its 28th anniversary in March. Suda thanked players and the team behind the release, then tied independence to wanting a broader stylistic range rather than to any named follow-up project.
The split is not cast as a bitter divorce. Suda said the decision followed thorough discussions with NetEase Games and came with the publisher’s cooperation. Grasshopper continues to cherish the relationship the companies built and looks forward to further collaboration when the opportunity arises, he wrote. He also pointed to improved self-publishing know-how and a wider set of publishing options, while committing to keep delivering the “NO GAME NO LIFE” experience associated with the studio.
Looking ahead, Suda asked fans to stick with Grasshopper through its upcoming 30th anniversary and beyond. No new game titles, platforms, or street dates were named in the independence statement — Romeo Is a Dead Man appears only as recent-release context for why the studio is turning the page now.
What we are not saying: we are not naming a next Grasshopper title, a first independent publishing partner, or a platform lineup for whatever comes after Romeo Is a Dead Man. Independence and Suda’s stated creative aims are the news.
