Video game 323 series trains at the
Osaka Loop Line in
Tennōji Station,
Osaka The game received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to
review aggregator website
Metacritic. Critics praised the diversity of content offered, gameplay depth that encourages replay value, and character writing which respects their real-life inspirations. However, critics have also criticized the monetization through the gacha system as being predatory and the gameplay potentially being difficult for casual players.
Revenue The mobile game, within ten months of release, grossed nearly () in Japan by December 2021, making it the ninth-highest-grossing
mobile game in 2021. The game has since generated over () in revenue as of March 2025, making it one of the most profitable mobile games in Japan. Following its global release in June 2025, the game generated worldwide for the first 30 days, of which 50.3% comprised sales outside Japan. Among international markets, the United States accounted for 68% of all overseas spending and 34% of total global revenue.
Accolades Cultural impact The franchise has had a significant cultural impact, particularly in Japan, becoming a multi-billion dollar multimedia franchise. The franchise also consistently emphasizes universal themes like perseverance, teamwork, personal growth, and overcoming challenges, which resonate with a broad audience. While its primary market is Japan, the game has also been released in other Asia-Pacific territories, and an English version was eventually released, indicating its broader global impact.
Domestic Masayuki Gotō, a chairman of the
Japan Racing Association, showed his gratitude to
Umamusume: Pretty Derby for its positive influence on the horse racing community in an interview on
Weekly Gallop published in December 2021. The franchise has also helped bring awareness to retired racehorses represented within the franchise, such as
Haru Urara and
Nice Nature, allowing them to receive donations from the franchise's fans. As various stables in Japan housing the represented retired racehorses receive multiple visitors since its release, Cygames shared a list of rules and guidelines for fans potentially visiting the stables to adhere and follow. These guidelines include the inquiry of a stable's tour availability and accounting for the horse's wellbeing. The franchise was also commented by media observers to contribute to a significant revival of
horse racing pop culture, such as idol performances, slice-of-life elements, and a global sporting powerhouse. In January 2023, was awarded a Gold streaming certification by the
Recording Industry Association of Japan for reaching over 50 million streams.
International While Cygames was concerned about the niche nature of
Umamusume impacting sales abroad, the title's global launch in June 2025 was met with very positive reviews following its June 2025 global release. Overseas players quickly became a significant share of the game's mobile revenue, which Cygames hoped would foster foster greater interest in horse racing outside Japan. The game saw a consistent rate of between 15,000 and 30,000 concurrent
Steam players in its first week, as well as general high levels of interest from streamers and social media, leading to a marked increase in interest and awareness towards the game's characters' namesakes. Following its global release, cosplayers and fans of the franchise began appearing at horse racing events around the world, bringing in a younger audience to the sport. In the United States, meet-ups were held at
Turf Paradise in Arizona and at
Santa Anita Park in California during the Cygames-sponsored
American Oaks, and the series has been credited with softening the sports' image of "an old man's sport and a gambling den". Cosplayers of the series have also appeared at horse racing events in
Southeast Asia such as the
Indonesia Derby, and have been endorsed by the events' organizers. At some events, such as the
Hipódromo de Monterrico in Peru and the Piala Raja Hamengkubuwono X of Indonesia, promoters have organised cosplay races on the track and fan art competitions portraying local racehorses. Cosplayers for the series have also appeared at other sports events; a series of cosplays at
Denver Broncos games lead to an increase in popularity of the NFL team, while the
Seattle Seahawks have on multiple occasions posted fanart of the series' characters playing
football following the team's victories. Since the franchise's inception, Cygames has sponsored several horseraces, including the aforementioned American Oaks, the
Breeders' Cup Sprint since 2024, the
Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs and the
Grand Prix de Paris at
Longchamp. The Breeders' Cup also expressed pride at its addition to the Japanese version of the game via a new scenario, "Beyond Dreams". A Japanese primer covering the country's efforts in sending racehorses to compete in the Breeders' Cup narrated by
Miyu Kubota, the voice actor of the 2021 Filly & Mare Turf winner
Loves Only You, was released to promote it and shared by both the franchise and the event.
Collaborations In August 2021, Cygames and
Paramount Pictures announced a collaboration in Japan between
Umamusume: Pretty Derby and
Top Gun: Maverick. Mayano Top Gun – whose
namesake horse was also named in part after
the original 1986 Top Gun film – was named a special advertising pilot, and the collaboration featured her in an alternate version of the movie's poster, with her voice actress, Mio Hoshitani, additionally interviewing some of the cast and crew of the movie. Collaborations with Japanese sports magazine
Sports Graphic Number and horse racing magazine
Weekly Gallop were released on October 20, 2022, and October 22, 2023, respectively, featuring special feature articles on the franchise, alongside special illustrations of several
Umamusume characters. In May 2025, the franchise was highlighted as part of an exhibit at the
Smithsonian-affiliated International Museum of the Horse at the
Kentucky Horse Park in
Lexington, Kentucky. Titled , the exhibit displays the Japanese horse world including horses' spiritual, cultural legacy, and sporting roles in the country. The exhibition was also held during the
Expo 2025 in
Osaka and the
Annecy International Animation Film Festival in
Annecy, France, in collaboration with
France Galop ahead of
Cygames Grand Prix de Paris. In October 2025, as the
Umamusume: Cinderella Gray anime adaptation aired on
TBS at the same time as live action horse racing drama
The Royal Family, Oguri Cap was featured in promotions alongside Umamusume personifications of Royal Family and Royal Hope, two of the main horses in the show. In April 2026, Umamusume has a collaboration with
Midori no Makibaō and
Konami's
Bombergirl for
April Fools' Day. This collaboration commemorates the 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the franchise and the fact that 2026 is the Year of the Horse, the collaboration also illustrated by
Bkub Okawa alongside
Silent Hill f collaboration campaign in March. Alongside these, minor collaborations have also been held. Haru Urara and Oguri Cap appeared in Cygames'
Shadowverse card game as crossover characters. Select characters from the franchise were also chosen as participants in
Love Live!'s 15th anniversary tribute album released in January 2026. Tokai Teio, Oguri Cap, Gold Ship, Still in Love and Almond Eye were named as the singers of a cover of "Bokura wa Ima no Naka de" by µ's, the opening theme of Season 1 of the
School Idol Project anime. For the
2026 Super GT Series,
Pacific Racing Team's
BMW M4 used a livery depicting characters from the series. ==Notes==