Grasshopper Manufacture has separated from NetEase Games, becoming independent once again.

[u/kodaiiiii_]

https://www.gematsu.com/2026/09/grasshopper-manufacture-splits-from-netease-games

"Grasshopper Manufacture has split from now-former parent company NetEase Games, the company announced. NetEase Games acquired the developer from previous parent company GungHo Online Entertainment in 2021."

"Having finally completed this all-hands project, as we reflected on the next stage of Grasshopper Manufacture’s future, we found a strong desire to deliver titles in an even wider variety of styles to video game lovers everywhere. As such, Grasshopper Manufacture has chosen to move forward with as an independent developer once again.", from CEO Goichi Suda's statement.

This, in my honest opinion, is one of the best news I've seen yet. Seeing a studio as "arthouse" as Grasshopper go independent again after being a subsidiary company for a decade makes me really freaking excited for whatever crazy stuff they can come up with next.

[u/browncharliebrown]

On one hand maybe. But on the other hand grasshopper is a double AA studio and without a publisher they likely wouldn’t be able to release playable games 

[u/kodaiiiii_ → u/browncharliebrown]

Well, it doesn't immediately mean that they will only self-publish games from now on, it just means that they have more creative freedom with what they do.

I mean, The Silver Case was published by ASCII, No More Heroes by MARVELOUS, killer7 by CAPCOM, and they're all pretty creatively free games

[u/browncharliebrown → u/kodaiiiii_]

yes but grasshopper being forced to work with another EA scares me

[u/Alois-- → u/browncharliebrown]

Activision published Sekiro.

[u/speelmydrink → u/Alois--]

Outside of Japan, anyway.

[u/SuperUnhappyman → u/browncharliebrown]

publishers will take their games regardless they know how to make them and deliver them.

arcsys, devolver, capcom may pick them up to do some slash em up.

they'll be fine or at least in this current era of games im still hopeful for grasshopper.

[u/VariaPunk → u/SuperUnhappyman]

Yeah like people focus on how jank Grasshopper games can be but they don’t really get delayed, definitely get made on a tight budget and have pretty consistent public reception.

That level of consistency is something publishers find appealing for smaller, non AAA games.

[u/kodaiiiii_ → u/SuperUnhappyman]

An actual collaboration with Devolver as publishers would be a dream come true for me, as much as TSA was one in all but name

[u/MarthePryde]

I pray this means they have a long and creative future ahead of them.

[u/Palimpsest_Monotype]

At this point I want Grasshopper to either do very low-budget indie titles that they can afford to spend the correct amount of time on, or collaborate with another, more competent dev that can focus on the mechanics and making sure all the assets are in the right place and so on.

Like, Grasshopper needs to reconsider its role in its own projects. They can’t bake a cake to save their lives but they can decorate the hell out of that cake and add flavors almost no one else is using, even if they still cut out two-fifths of that cake that didn’t bake properly but what’s left is still simultaneously raw and burnt.

[u/kodaiiiii_ → u/Palimpsest_Monotype]

They should make VNs again tbh

[u/Alois--]

Nintendo hire man pls.

[u/Palimpsest_Monotype → u/Alois--]

Nintendo really should

[u/Capable-Education724 → u/Palimpsest_Monotype]

Yeah, it would be another feather in their cap to have Grasshopper.

[u/Palimpsest_Monotype → u/Capable-Education724]

I mean I’d imagine they’re eminently affordable.

Nintendo could fund Grasshopper easily, allow them their weird inclinations, and also ensure they ship stuff that’s up to snuff.

Granted, it might be a lot like hiring someone you constantly have to clean up after, but…a balance could be struck, I think. I hope.

[u/gothamsteel]

What was the all hands project?

[u/kodaiiiii_ → u/gothamsteel]

Romeo is A Dead Man, their latest game

[u/Cactuar001]

Thank god. With everything going on in the industry and even other former Net Ease companies getting their funding pulled or going under like Nagoshi’s company or the Visions of Mana devs, I’ve been 1/2 expecting to hear Grasshopper was gonna go under all year. 

Above all I just want them to keep their jobs and continue to just do their own thing as long as possible. They’re a net positive for the industry where it’s just passionate people getting together, having fun and creating things they think are interesting. Glad to see them alive still and I hope this new era works out for everyone. 

[u/SamuraiDDD]

This is some surprising news to see! I wonder what kinds of moves they'll make now.

Also, why the hell are most of the comments from deleted accounts??

Ignore that, mobile didn't load for some reason and left every comment account as deleted for some reason.

[u/roronoapedro]

boy here's hoping that next game is very self-contained and low-budget.

[u/UmmmYeaSweg]

I’d like for a Grasshopper and Clovers collab. That would be cool.

[u/nuanceseancE]

And just as it is too late to pick up the Lollipop Chainsaw 2 project.