Grasshopper Manufacture is leaving NetEase and returning to full independence, and it is hard not to feel a little sad about it upon reflection. I have loved this studio’s output for decades, and it genuinely felt like things slowed down once Grasshopper was under NetEase. At times, it seemed like we were lucky to get even one game out of the partnership. Now that the collaboration is over, Grasshopper is stepping back into the world on its own.
Grasshopper was founded in 1998, and Suda51 has been there since day one, shaping its identity for nearly thirty years. The team is small, roughly 30 to 40 developers, but their work has always punched well above its weight. Right before NetEase, Grasshopper spent years under GungHo Online Entertainment, a period that produced Let It Die and helped the studio expand without losing its personality. Even then, Grasshopper maintained a studio that thrived on experimentation, style, and attitude.
Grasshopper’s announcement frames the departure as a thoughtful decision. In a message to fans, Suda51 writes: “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 as an independent developer once again.”
He adds that the studio reached this decision after long discussions with NetEase and that both sides remain on good terms. Grasshopper says it has strengthened its self‑publishing capabilities and now has more options for how its future games can be released.
Grasshopper’s exit comes at a time when NetEase is reducing its creator‑focused footprint. Nagoshi Studio seems to have shut down after NetEase halted development on Gang of Dragon, and other subsidiaries have been dissolved or spun out. Grasshopper now joins that list of studios that have parted ways.
As the studio approaches its 30th anniversary, independence might give Grasshopper the freedom it needs to keep making the bold, stylish action games that define its legacy. But it is hard not to imagine how much of their effort was lost along the way.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.thegamer.com/suda51-grasshopper-netease-split/
