GungHo Online Entertainment (GOE), a Japanese publisher, today announced that it has acquired the video game development studio Grasshopper Manufacture. GOE stated that Grasshopper Manufacture will continue to operate under that name, and that games currently under development will not be affected.

Grasshopper is headed by Goichi Suda, also well-known as “Suda51.” The studio is responsible for some of the most interesting and unapologetically juvenile video games in recent memory. Its titles include Killer7, No More Heroes, Shadows of the Damned, and Lollipop Chainsaw.

“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 Suda, founder and CEO of Grasshopper. “The Grashopper 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.”

GOE is most well-known as the publisher of the Ragnarok Online games, as well as the mobile game Puzzle & Dragons.

“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, CEO of GungHo. “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.”

Grasshopper just this month released a teaser trailer for its upcoming Killer is Dead. The game features a James Bond-type assassin who operates in a dark noir-styled underworld.