Grasshopper Manufacture has clawed its way back to independence from NetEase Games, ending a five-year stretch under the Chinese publisher that saw more studio closures than breakthroughs elsewhere in the portfolio. The Tokyo-based studio behind No More Heroes and the recent Romeo Is A Dead Man announced the split effective October 1, 2026, crediting thorough talks and NetEase's cooperation while noting improved self-publishing chops as the key enabler for a broader range of titles. NetEase itself has been shedding overseas teams amid scaled-back global ambitions, with Grasshopper avoiding the cull that hit studios tied to Nagoshi, Quantic Dream, and others.

The move comes after Romeo Is A Dead Man launched in February 2026 to mixed but engaged reviews — OpenCritic aggregate around 74, with scores ranging from high praise at DualShockers (9/10) to middling at GameSpot (5/10) — and the studio's 28th anniversary celebrations in March. Goichi Suda's statement emphasizes delivering the signature "NO GAME NO LIFE" experience with greater stylistic variety, leveraging self-publishing options built during the NetEase era. X posts from gaming accounts framed it as a clean break with maintained goodwill, some noting the lack of a firm next-project roadmap but highlighting the recent game's Switch 2 port plans as an immediate focus.

Background checks reveal the 2021 acquisition from GungHo was pitched as creative freedom plus funding, yet NetEase's pivot away from international investments created the conditions for this exit. Grasshopper's roughly 53 employees now operate without a corporate parent, a rare survivor in a wave of divestitures. The real test starts now: whether independence translates to the "wider variety" promised or just another lean cycle for Suda51's idiosyncratic output.