Generating over $2.4 billion in domestic revenue, Cygames has finally decided to bring its immensely popular mobile game, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, to Western audiences.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby is an original multimedia franchise created by Cygames. It gained significant popularity following the premiere of its first anime adaptation in the spring of 2018. While the mobile game was initially slated to launch alongside the anime, it was delayed until February 2021, aligning with the debut of the anime’s second season.
Since its release, the horsegirl racing game has achieved remarkable success, amassing over 21 million downloads in Asia and generating billions of dollars in revenue.
To illustrate its impact, Uma Musume Pretty Derby for iOS, Android, and PC accounts for 72% of Cygames’ mobile revenue in Japan. Now, the game is set to make its highly anticipated debut in Western markets.
Cygames has launched the Uma Musume English Twitter account to build anticipation and announce the upcoming release of the game. While no release date has been set, Cygames has confirmed that the English version of their popular mobile game, along with another franchise-based game called Uma Musume: Pretty Derby Party Dash, will be featured at this year’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles.
Fans have been eagerly awaiting a Western release for quite some time. Given the game’s immense domestic popularity, it is surprising that it took Cygames this long to bring the horsegirl racer to international audiences.
One important point to note is that when Uma Musume: Pretty Derby is released in the West, it will be self-published by Cygames. Normally, this would be seen as a positive development.
However, it’s worth mentioning that Cygames established their own European and American branches early last year, with their American branch based in California, a hub for progressive ideologies. Many Japanese companies positioned in California have embraced ESG agendas and values, often resulting in self-censorship and increased emphasis on diversity and inclusivity to avoid their products being seen as “problematic.”
While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Uma Musume will be altered or censored, it raises concerns that the game might receive a Western localization that deviates from the Japanese original, incorporating Western slang and progressive terminologies to be “more relatable.”
The Western release is expected to spark a resurgence of interest in Uma Musume: Pretty Derby, which recently concluded its third anime season in December 2023.
Stay updated on the Western release through the official EN Uma Musume website.
