GungHo Online Entertainment announced earlier today that it had acquired Grasshopper Manufacture, the iconic studio responsible for bringing some of Suda51’s wildest creations to life. According to GungHo, nothing will change as far as Grasshopper is concerned. In the past, the company has acquired other studios including Acquire, Game Arts, and Gravity, and it has helped in bringing titles such as Grandia, Puzzle & Dragons, and the Ragnarok series to the west.

“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,” stated GungHo President Kazuki Morishita. “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.”

Suda51 seems to be especially excited about the new partnership, as well, saying, “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.”

While GungHo has been known to specialize in mobile games and MMOs, the publisher is also responsible for several Japanese titles being localized in North America. This can definitely be considered good news when you take into account the fact that Killer Is Dead, Grasshopper’s latest project, has thus far only been confirmed for the Japenese market, with only hints of a western localization. Here’s hoping this acquisition results in North America getting the potentially awesome game from Grasshopper and Kadokawa Games.

Follow this author on Twitter.