Grasshopper Manufacture, the studio founded by Goichi “Suda 51” Suda, has announced its independence. Starting October 1, the studio will no longer be part of NetEase Games.
After acquiring Grasshopper Manufacture in 2021, the Chinese corporation assisted the studio with business planning and game development funding. In addition, the team's projects received support from thousands of NetEase artists and technical specialists who were involved in creating game assets and ensuring quality.
According to Suda 51, the decision to return to independence was made after the release of Romeo is a Dead Man and the celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture's 28th anniversary. The team discussed the studio's future development and concluded that they want to provide players with even more diverse and unusual games.
Before making the decision, Grasshopper Manufacture held detailed discussions with NetEase Games. Suda thanked the company for its “generous cooperation” and noted that during its time under NetEase, the studio significantly improved its self-publishing skills, thanks to which it now has a wide range of options for publishing future projects.
Grasshopper Manufacture emphasizes that the change in status will not affect its creative approach. Regardless of who publishes future games, the studio intends to continue creating unusual projects that adhere to its signature principle of “NO GAME NO LIFE”.