Grasshopper Manufacture has split from NetEase Games and returned to independent operation, nearly five years after joining the Chinese publisher. The move was announced in a statement from Grasshopper representative director and CEO Goichi Suda published in full by Gematsu.
Suda connected the decision to the studio’s next phase after the February release of Romeo Is a Dead Man. With that all-hands project complete, he said Grasshopper wanted to make games in a wider variety of styles and chose to operate independently again.
Independence with the door still open
Grasshopper characterized the separation as a negotiated decision rather than a hostile break. Suda said it followed extensive discussions and cooperation from NetEase, adding that the studio values the relationship and would consider working with the company again when opportunities arise.
The practical change is broader control over how Grasshopper’s future games reach players. Suda said the developer has strengthened its self-publishing expertise, giving it more options regardless of who publishes a particular title. The studio plans to keep making games with its own creative identity while working toward its 30th anniversary.
The announcement does not spell out the financial terms of the separation, describe any staffing changes or identify Grasshopper’s next project. It also does not detail how ownership of individual game properties may be affected.
A partnership that began in 2021
Grasshopper joined NetEase under an equity-transfer agreement signed in May 2021. In the official acquisition announcement, the companies said NetEase would provide business-planning advice, development funding, art support and quality assurance, while Grasshopper remained responsible for creativity and production.
At the time, Grasshopper framed the deal as a long-term effort to produce three higher-quality games over the following decade with access to NetEase’s development resources.
That arrangement was presented as a long-term partnership designed to give the Tokyo studio more resources without erasing its distinct style. The 2026 split reverses the ownership relationship, but Grasshopper’s statement deliberately leaves room for the companies to collaborate again.
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