Grasshopper Manufacture Goes Independent From NetEase
Grasshopper Manufacture announced that it became independent from NetEase Games as of October 1, 2026. The Tokyo studio, founded in 1998 and led by representative director Goichi Suda, has more than 25 years of development experience and more than 25 titles, including killer7, The Silver Case, and the No More Heroes series. It became a subsidiary of GungHo Online Entertainment in 2013 and came under NetEase through a share transfer agreement in 2021. Grasshopper Manufacture released its latest title, ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN, in February 2026 and marked its 28th anniversary in March. The studio said the decision followed sufficient discussion with NetEase Games and its cooperation, and that it will keep a good relationship and cooperate mutually if opportunities arise. It said it has built up self-publishing know-how and will keep planning and developing titles with its own style. Procedures such as changes among officers are underway.