Latest News
04/10/2024
Umamusume Can Reap The Rewards Of Susumu Fujita’s Savvy Timing
Forever Young’s self-made owner is riding the pop-culture wave of his Umamusume project all the way to Del Mar and the Breeders’ Cup.
David Morgan
09/07/2024
Umamusume Hopes For A New ‘White Wonder’
CyberAgent boss Susumu Fujita spent big at Japan’s Select Sale on a white horse from Sodashi’s family.
Michael Cox
02/07/2024
Umamusume Goes Global As A Rival In Hong Kong Hits Potential Trouble
Mobile game phenomenon Umamusume is set to launch in English but a company in Hong Kong could lose a government subsidy after creating a game similar to the Japanese horse racing-inspired hit.
David Morgan
What Is Umamusume?
Umamusume is a project that reimagines real-life successful racehorses as girls. Its activities span a wide range of media, including a game, anime, films, manga, and live performances by artists.
For example, the anime series consists of three main seasons, along with side stories such as Road To The Top and Cinderella Gray. A movie that shares the same universe as Road To The Top has also been released, and it has grossed over 1.3 billion yen (USD$9 million) at the box office in Japan.
Who is behind Umamusume?
Umamusume is developed and operated by Cygames, a Japanese company. For the Traditional Chinese and Korean versions, international companies have assisted with localisation efforts.
Cygames is known for its mobile titles such as Granblue Fantasy and The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, as well as console games like Granblue Fantasy Versus and Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash.
Its parent company, CyberAgent, is one of Japan’s leading mobile game developers – Cygames is one of its game studios. CyberAgent’s founder, Susumu Fujita, is also known as the owner of notable racehorses such as Forever Young and Shin Emperor. Fujita has invested heavily in racehorses in the past four years, spending 10.5 billion yen (USD$72.8 million) in Japan alone.
How Do I Play Umamusume?
The Umamusume mobile game is available on the App Store and Google Play, and it can also be played on PC via Steam or DMM Games (Japan only). To date, versions have been released in Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean.
An English-language version is scheduled for release on June 26 with availability planned on the App Store, Google Play, and Steam.
Additionally, the console game Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Party Dash is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Steam.
How Does Umamusume Make Money?
In the game, users can purchase a currency called “Carats”. These purchased Carats are used for random draws (gacha games) to obtain characters or support cards.
In terms of mobile game revenue, Umamusume has consistently ranked among the top apps in Japan since its release. According to unofficial reports, the game surpassed a total of USD$2.4 billion in global revenue as of 2024.
How Popular Is Umamusume?
In Japan, Umamusume quickly gained widespread popularity upon its release in 2021, becoming something of a cultural phenomenon that year. The main theme, Umapyoi Densetsu – known for its quirky lyrics and rhythm – also went viral on TikTok.
Umamusume has gained popularity beyond the game as well. The manga Cinderella Gray, which features Oguri Cap as the main character, surpassed eight million copies in total circulation as of April, 2025 and is now set to be adapted into an anime.
Additionally, the Blu-ray release of Season 2 of the anime achieved record-breaking sales, partly thanks to included bonus content.
Real World Impact Of Umamusume In Horse Racing
The impact extended to the world of horse racing. Donations to a retired racehorse support initiative fronted by Nice Nature – one of the characters featured in Umamusume – surged dramatically.
Contributions rose from 1.76 million yen in 2020 to 35.82 million yen in 2021. Even after Nice Nature’s death at age 35 in 2023, the tradition of birthday donations continued, reaching over 70 million yen in 2024.
Which Horses Are Most Popular In Umamusume?
Characters like Special Week, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, Kitasan Black, Satono Diamond, Narita Top Road, Agnes Tachyon and Oguri Cap – all who have played lead roles in past anime adaptations – are among the more popular figures.
However, there isn’t a single character who is universally considered “the most popular” of all. Some have long-standing fanbases dating back to their real-life racing careers, while others saw a surge in popularity after appearing in Umamusume.
Are Only ‘Real Life’ Horses Featured In Umamusume?
No. While over 90 per cent of the characters featured in Umamusume are based on real-life racehorses, there are also characters modelled after fictional horses.
One example is Happy Meek. She is not a playable character but appears in the story in a supporting role. However, in 2022, an owner influenced by Umamusume gave the name “Happy Meek” to a real racehorse, meaning she retroactively became a “real” racehorse.
Are There Any Events Related To Umamusume?
Collaboration events with Umamusume are held at racecourses across Japan. For example, at the NAR’s Kasamatsu Racecourse, which appears in the Cinderella Gray manga, annual events are held. In 2025, more than 10,000 spectators gathered at its small grandstand.
Live performances by the series’ voice actor-artists are also held regularly. In May 2025, the sixth major live event took place at Saitama Super Arena, which holds over 20,000 people.
Umamusume has also collaborated with racecourses outside Japan, including Sha Tin in Hong Kong and Churchill Downs in the United States.
What Was The ‘Fake Umamusume’ Controversy?
Hong Kong game developer ML Interactive Limited launched a similar game titled ‘Winning Derby’ in 2024. It uses the names of superstar horses from abroad, including Japan’s great champion Deep Impact – who is yet to be introduced into the Umamusume universe due to “reluctance” on the part of owner Kaneko Makoto – as well as Hong Kong icon Golden Sixty and Australian superstar Winx.
Despite receiving Hong Kong government subsidies, it quickly attracted criticism and accusations of plagiarism from Umamusume fans.
How Do I Play Umamusume As A Beginner?
In Umamusume’s gameplay system, you train characters through scenarios and then use those trained characters to compete against rival players in regularly held events.
At first, rather than focusing on competitive battles, it’s best to concentrate on completing the objectives within each training scenario. Each scenario contains numerous challenges and secret content, which vary depending on the character. Why not start by enjoying the stories told through each scenario and character?
If there is a character who catches your attention – perhaps because of her visuals or the real-life racehorse behind her – try training her first. Even support cards with lower rarity can produce significant effects depending on how they’re combined, so there’s no need to rush into purchasing Carats right away.
