In a video game market saturated with fierce Gacha title competition, such as Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, Nikke: Goddess of Victory, Arknights, and more, it is a miracle that Umamusume: Pretty Derby managed to explode onto the Gacha scene as hard as it is right now. The key was to turn iconic Japanese racehorses into cute anime girls and watch them race. It was a very bizarre premise, initially met with skepticism, but ultimately proved to be a genius marketing strategy. It is now captivating millions with its heartfelt storytelling, slick production, and uniquely Japanese flavor of absurd sincerity.
This franchise has recently garnered immense popularity, but some may not be aware that Uma Musume has been around since the first season of the anime aired in 2018. The anime was met with a nice reception, gaining some fans in the process and establishing Uma Musume as a franchise. In 2021, however, after numerous delays, the mobile game was finally released in Japan. This was launched simultaneously with the second season of the anime, creating a well-planned and strong campaign for the franchise. To say it worked would be an understatement, as the game generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Cygames, catapulting the IP into the stratosphere.
The gameplay of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is a unique and addictive blend of training simulation, stat-building, racing, and idol performance mechanics. Think of it as a blend of Princess Maker, RPG stat management, and sports drama, all with a gacha element added on top. You choose one horse girl to train and guide through her racing career. The goal is to raise her stats, win races, and ultimately lead her to idol stardom (yes, they sing as well). The loop typically spans a 3-year in-game period, broken down into weekly segments.
But then, why has it only recently gained such momentum in the West? Simply put, the English version and translations were recently released on June 24, 2025. That, combined with big streamers such as Ludwig playing it on stream, caused many other content creators to jump on the hype train, and it's only gotten bigger! The community is ever-growing with memes and fan art all over the internet of their favorite horse girls. Uma Musume is known for its horse girls, who are reincarnations of real-world racehorses, such as Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. But one in particular, Gold Ship, has taken the internet by storm. Gold Ship is a real-life horse who ran 28 times and won 13 times. In short, Gold Ship was a monster on the track when he was competing. However, one unique trait about Gold Ship is that he was known for messing around in races, instead of competing seriously. This is manifested in Uma Musume's rendition, where the horse girl kicks the camera or generally does crazy things everywhere she goes. This character is many players’ favorite horse, and she is a perfect example of why people love this game!
What started as a quirky horse girl idol anime has evolved into a global franchise, captivating millions with its standout characters and addictive gameplay loop. Uma Musume: Pretty Derby has proven there’s plenty of room in the gacha scene for a bit of horsing around.
This franchise has recently garnered immense popularity, but some may not be aware that Uma Musume has been around since the first season of the anime aired in 2018. The anime was met with a nice reception, gaining some fans in the process and establishing Uma Musume as a franchise. In 2021, however, after numerous delays, the mobile game was finally released in Japan. This was launched simultaneously with the second season of the anime, creating a well-planned and strong campaign for the franchise. To say it worked would be an understatement, as the game generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Cygames, catapulting the IP into the stratosphere.
The gameplay of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is a unique and addictive blend of training simulation, stat-building, racing, and idol performance mechanics. Think of it as a blend of Princess Maker, RPG stat management, and sports drama, all with a gacha element added on top. You choose one horse girl to train and guide through her racing career. The goal is to raise her stats, win races, and ultimately lead her to idol stardom (yes, they sing as well). The loop typically spans a 3-year in-game period, broken down into weekly segments.
But then, why has it only recently gained such momentum in the West? Simply put, the English version and translations were recently released on June 24, 2025. That, combined with big streamers such as Ludwig playing it on stream, caused many other content creators to jump on the hype train, and it's only gotten bigger! The community is ever-growing with memes and fan art all over the internet of their favorite horse girls. Uma Musume is known for its horse girls, who are reincarnations of real-world racehorses, such as Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen. But one in particular, Gold Ship, has taken the internet by storm. Gold Ship is a real-life horse who ran 28 times and won 13 times. In short, Gold Ship was a monster on the track when he was competing. However, one unique trait about Gold Ship is that he was known for messing around in races, instead of competing seriously. This is manifested in Uma Musume's rendition, where the horse girl kicks the camera or generally does crazy things everywhere she goes. This character is many players’ favorite horse, and she is a perfect example of why people love this game!
What started as a quirky horse girl idol anime has evolved into a global franchise, captivating millions with its standout characters and addictive gameplay loop. Uma Musume: Pretty Derby has proven there’s plenty of room in the gacha scene for a bit of horsing around.
by Tomas Sierra