Five years after NetEase Games acquired it from GungHo Online Entertainment, Grasshopper Manufacture, the No More Heroes and Killer7 studio led by Goichi “Suda51” Suda, is an independent developer again as of October 1, 2026. In a statement signed by Suda, Grasshopper said the decision came after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, which it thanked for its generous cooperation, and that the two companies are open to working together again when the opportunity arises.
According to the statement, the studio started thinking about its next stage after finishing Romeo Is a Dead Man, the all-hands project it released in February, and came away wanting to make games in an even wider variety of styles. Grasshopper self-published Romeo Is a Dead Man on PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X|S, and PC, and it says its self-publishing know-how has improved to the point that it now has a broad range of options. The studio also says it will keep making games with the “NO GAME NO LIFE” experience it’s known for, regardless of how they’re published. The game’s announcement trailer was nominated for Best Game Trailer at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025, though Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2 took the win.
Under the original agreement, which was signed on May 31, 2021, NetEase Games was set to advise on business planning and fund game development, while Grasshopper stayed responsible for the creativity and production of its games. At the time, Suda said the studio would strive to release three higher-quality “Grasshopper Manufacture Games” over the following ten years. Grasshopper noted that procedures related to the split, including changes to its board members, are still in progress.
