If you have any friends in the gaming space, cosplay scene, or are just into memes, you’ve probably heard (or are at least aware) of Umamusume Pretty Derby. Behind this horse girl gacha game hodgepodge, however, lie layers upon layers of history. But where did it even come from, and what makes it so popular to begin with?
A brief history on horsing around
Our story begins in 2016 with Cygames introducing the first version of Umamusume, translated to “horse girls” through a promotional trailer and a manga adaptation. While the manga took off well, initial beta testing of the game showed it was poorly received, leading to delays. For context, Cygames had a background in idol games with a cutesy vibe (their other IP being The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls) and at the time, the game felt like a cutesy fanservice title with horse racing simply slapped on.
By 2018, two years after Umamusume’s announcement, came its first anime season featuring Special Week. Let that sink in. At this point, there was still no game. What happened instead was a shift in priority, with an actual emphasis on realism while humanizing Special Week’s journey. Umamusume isn’t just an idol series. The characters are based on real horses, reincarnated as idols in the modern day, closely following their golden years, rivalries, and exploits.
In 2021, coinciding with the release of the anime’s second season, Umamusume Pretty Derby finally launched in Japan as a sports simulation game featuring anthropomorphized horse girls.
It took half a decade for Umamusume to be released, and the wait paid off. The global release last June 26, 2025, took the world by storm. But when you think about it, why did a seemingly generic gacha game blow up as much as it did, especially when it only had the anime to go off of globally?
Ballin!
It’s the memes, particularly the ballin meme featuring Tokai Teio. Relatability plays a big part in helping anyone understand and get into the game. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or even the earliest meme available) the widespread appeal matters in the long run. People may not recognize it right away, but they’re already familiar with Umamusume without even knowing it.
As silly as it may sound, there could be a variety of reasons for the game’s recent success, depending on who you ask. Remember that there was a period between its announcement in 2016 and its release in 2021 when the game still wasn’t out? In 2018, Umamusume launched a YouTube channel run by their media rep, the VTuber Gold Ship, a real-life horse who’s also an Umamusume. Bundle that with the pandemic in 2019, and you’ve got another factor in its growth.
There’s also the compelling writing found within the world of Umamusume itself, which, as mentioned earlier, mirrors the real-life exploits of their horse counterparts. I never would’ve imagined myself being hyped over a horse, but if you go through the history of horses like the ultimate underdog, Haru Urara, you’d be a fan in a heartbeat. Here was a horse with a record of zero wins and 113 losses in a career spanning from 1998 to 2004, but we love her all the same.
The gameplay and fanfare also contribute to Umamusume’s success. While it may just seem like a gacha game at first glance, the reality is that it’s actually a roguelike, a genre known for its customizability, complexity, and hype moments. Each gameplay loop is never really the same, thanks to RNG and random encounters. Your reward for winning each race after raising your horse girl well? A concert with her as the center. You see your horses grow right in front of you, and that just makes all the effort worth it.
On your mark, get set!
Interested in trying it out for yourself? To start your horse training journey, all you need to do is download the app, either on desktop through Steam or on mobile. A tutorial rounds up the entire gameplay loop nicely, including the Career Mode where you raise your Umamusume, along with various competitive and farming modes where you race them.
Act now and you could even take part in the ongoing event featuring Air Groove and Mayano Top Gun competing to get their wedding-themed race outfits. And no, they’re not wedding dresses, but racing outfits based on wedding dresses.
Closing the race
It’s been a good two months since the global release of Umamusume Pretty Derby, and so far, the game shows no signs of stopping. With over half a decade of content already established in its JP server, we’re in no shortage of things to look forward to for quite a while. Fans are even hosting their own “Umameets,” or Umamusume fan gatherings, and every one I’ve seen online has been impressive each and every time.
While the Umamusume hype train wasn’t a frontrunner in the beginning, it’s showing no signs of slowing down, with enough stamina to go the distance. It’s a late surger if I ever saw one, and I can already hear the Umapyoi of success in the distance.
