GungHo confirms Grasshopper Manufacture purchase, Suda 51 responds

Earlier this morning we reported that Ragnarok publisher GungHo Online Entertainment had acquired No More Heroes developer Grasshopper Manufacture. The publisher has now published an official statement on the matter, with comment from Grasshopper founder Goichi Suda.

The statement confirms that Grasshopper will continue on as normal - retaining its name and projects - as part of the GungHo family, which includes developers Game Arts, GRAVITY and Acquire.

Discussing the acquisition, Grasshopper founder Goichi Suda said, "By joining GungHo Online Entertainment, we are aligning ourselves with a strong, established publishing force that will support our vision to further create inspired new games that appeal players across the world. The Grasshopper team and I have many new ideas to share with our fans as we move forward so this union with GOE will help us realize our future plans.”

“We believe the strength of a publisher lies in its creative talent so with the addition of Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda 51 we are adding some of the most innovative talent in today’s gaming world to our stellar family of independently-operated studios,” added Kazuki Morishita, President and CEO of GungHo Online Entertainment. “Suda 51 projects are known to put a unique spin on every game so coupled with our proven ability to support development with AAA resources including a tailored online experience, we believe gamers will benefit from this collaboration.”

The statement adds that GungHo will be announcing new information on incoming Grasshopper projects in coming months. Killer is Dead is the studio's next known title, currently rumoured to be published on Western shores by XSEED.