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In early December, Grasshopper Manufacture announced it will publish its next game, Romeo is a Dead Man, by itself. This is a big move for the studio and for director Suda51.

Grasshopper is known for its punk style and strange, violent games. In 2021, the studio was bought by NetEase Games. Even though NetEase said it would not change Grasshopper’s style, many fans felt the partnership was unusual. Now, NetEase will not publish this game, and Grasshopper will handle everything on its own.

The game itself looks very true to Grasshopper’s identity. A demo shown at Gamescom suggests it may be one of the studio’s most “Grasshopper-like” games so far.

The main character is Romeo Stargazer. He was about to die, but a time paradox saved him. Now he works for the FBI’s Space-Time division under the name Dead Man. He travels across many universes to hunt dangerous fugitives.

“Romeo has to travel through multiple universes in search of the FBI’s most wanted space-time fugitives, and bring them all to justice”

The gameplay mixes styles. Romeo uses a katana for close combat, with lots of blood shown in a comic way. He also uses guns, so combat can switch between sword fighting and shooting.

The game clearly knows what it wants to be. It is violent, strange, and not afraid to be silly. Special moves are even called “Bastard Skills,” showing that no compromises are being made.

The big question is whether this style can keep players interested for the whole game. Many indie games today are also weird and creative, so Grasshopper must deliver strong gameplay, not only shock value.

Romeo is a Dead Man is set to release on February 11, 2026.