Titles already in development at the studio before the acquisition will not be affected by the deal and will continue under their current publishing terms.

“We believe the strength of a publisher lies in its creative talent so with the addition of Grasshopper Manufacture and SUDA51 we are adding some of the most innovative talent in today’s gaming world to our stellar family of independently-operated studios,” said Kazuki Morishita, President and CEO of GungHo Online Entertainment. “SUDA51 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.”

Founded by SUDA51, Grasshopper Manufacture INC. is well known for creating imaginative titles such as killer7, the No More Heroes series and most recently, Lollipop Chainsaw.  The developer has released nearly 30 titles internationally and in Japan and has a devoted following among gamers.

“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,” said Grasshopper Founder and Managing Director, Goichi Suda. “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.”