Grasshopper Manufacture Splits From NetEase and Goes Indie Again
Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio behind No More Heroes and Killer7, has separated from its parent company NetEase and is independent again, founder Goichi "Suda51" Suda announced. NetEase took ownership of the studio in 2021 as part of its acquisition of Gungho Online Entertainment. Suda says the change reflects "a strong desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles to video game lovers everywhere".
NetEase has not yet commented on the deal, and the reason for the split is not obvious. The publisher has trimmed its portfolio in recent years: it pulled funding from Toshihiro Nagoshi's Gang of Dragon this March and shut down T-Minus Zero last September. Even so, the company appears content with its latest financial results.
Grasshopper has also yet to share sales figures for its recent curry-fuelled release Romeo is a Dead Man, and a silent sales report rarely points to a hit that has delighted the parent company.
Suda on the separation
Suda framed the break as amicable. "This decision was reached after thorough discussions with NetEase Games, and with their generous cooperation," he said in the announcement. "We continue to cherish the amazing relationship our companies built, and look forward to further collaboration when the opportunity arises."
He also pointed to the studio's growing experience with publishing its own games. "Having improved our own self-publishing know-how, we now have a broad range of options available to us," Suda said, "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."
That wording suggests Grasshopper is not ruling out outside publishing partners. The studio says it can now choose between self-publishing and working with a publisher on a project-by-project basis.
A catalogue built on variety
Grasshopper's back catalogue has always ranged widely, which fits Suda's talk of "an even wider variety of styles". Alongside the hack 'n' slash No More Heroes series and the stylised Killer7, the studio has made the mystery adventure The Silver Case, the journalism-themed horror game Michigan: Report from Hell, and the gory cheerleader action game Lollipop Chainsaw.
Studios regaining full autonomy is a welcome change from the more common outcomes of closure, financial drain or forced mergers with other teams. What Grasshopper does next, and whether it self-publishes its next project, remains to be announced.
