Umamusume boss says overseas fans “shocked” him with donations to retired racehorses

Overseas Umamusume players left Cygames’ boss “honestly shocked” after donating to retired racehorses following the game’s English release.

While Umamusume devs have a history of supporting the retired racehorses that inspired the game’s anime horse girls, the international community’s outpouring of support has been massive.

From donating 2,500 kilograms (more than 5,500 pounds) of fresh grass for Haru Urara to raising $675,000 for Meisho Doto’s retirement home, Uma fans across the globe continue to go above and beyond.

It’s this tremendous support that has been the biggest surprise for Cygames President and CEO Koichi Watanabe, who revealed he was left in awe over the international community’s love for Japan’s racehorses.

Umamusume boss stunned by international support

“We released the English version while keeping that respect at the forefront, and as a result, donations to retired racehorses became astonishing,” Watanabe told Famitsu during an interview celebrating Cygames’ 15th anniversary.

“We had already been supporting those efforts ourselves, but suddenly we were seeing donations pouring in from overseas. We were honestly shocked.”

While the game’s worldwide popularity has earned recognition through its English release and international awards, Watanabe said the most meaningful part of Umamusume’s success wasn’t seeing the game itself become a hit.

Cygames

Instead, he believes the franchise has helped introduce players around the world to Japan’s horse racing heritage and the real-life champions behind its cast.

“Umamusume only exists because of Japan’s long and rich horse racing culture. It exists thanks to everyone who has supported that culture over the years, and because of the legendary racehorses that actually lived and raced,” he continued.

“So rather than feeling proud that ‘our game succeeded overseas,’ what moved me most was seeing Japanese horse racing culture itself cross borders and be embraced by so many people around the world. That was incredibly emotional for me.”

One horse that continues to make headlines is Gold Ship, the mischievous racehorse who’s known for his incredible racing records and silly behaviour. In fact, he’s so popular that the farm where he lives has suspended weekend visits indefinitely.