No More Heroes Dev Grasshopper Splits from NetEase, Returns to Independence

Grasshopper Manufacture, the Japanese developer behind No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned and Lollipop Chainsaw, confirmed it is no longer owned by NetEase Games and has returned to being an indie studio. The two sides held talks and decided to part ways, with Grasshopper saying it has improved its self-publishing know-how and wants to deliver titles in a wider variety of styles. NetEase acquired the studio in 2021 and let it go five years later, ahead of Grasshopper's 30th anniversary.