Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio behind titles like No More Heroes and Killer7, has announced its separation from NetEase and its return to independent development. Founder Goichi "Suda51" Suda revealed the news, stating that the move reflects a "strong desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles to video game lovers everywhere."
NetEase had acquired Grasshopper Manufacture in 2021 as part of a larger acquisition of Gungho Online Entertainment. The terms of the recent separation were not immediately disclosed, and NetEase has yet to officially comment. Grasshopper Manufacture has indicated that the decision was made after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, who reportedly cooperated generously with the studio's desire to regain independence.
"Having improved our own self-publishing know-how, we now have a broad range of options available to us," Suda explained. "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."
Grasshopper Manufacture has a varied portfolio of games, including the aforementioned No More Heroes series, Killer7, The Silver Case, Michigan: Report from Hell, and Lollipop Chainsaw. Their most recent release, Romeo is a Dead Man, was described in a Rock Paper Shotgun review as "a chaotic mishmash of visual styles and storytelling ideas" that ultimately "ends as an assured hack 'n' slash whose oddness works in its favour."