Uma Musume Pretty Derby Revenue Outside Japan: What the First Global Months Reveal

Key takeaways

• In its first 30 days after the global rollout (June 26–July 26, 2025), Uma Musume: Pretty Derby generated $45.4 million on mobile, with 50.3% of revenue coming from outside Japan.

• Japan accounted for 49.7% ($22.6m), while international markets contributed 50.3% ($22.8m)—a rare split for a Japan-born gacha hit.

• The United States is the overseas engine, delivering 68% of international spend (≈ $15.6m) and 34% of global spend in the first 30 days.

• Canada ranked third in the first month, at ~$1.4m (≈6% of overseas; 3% of global), with the UK and Australia forming part of a fast-rising English-language cluster.

• Entering month two, Japan’s share fell further to 47.7%, signaling sustained momentum for Uma Musume Pretty Derby revenue outside Japan.

• Monetization intensity differs sharply by region: estimated RPD (revenue per download) around $177.64 in Japan vs. $11.68 outside Japan, suggesting Western growth will rely more on scale than whale-heavy spend.

• Lifetime revenue estimates in Japan vary by source and scope, ranging from ~$1.9B to ~$2.6B (mobile), but the global launch is clearly rebalancing the mix.

The 30-Day Scorecard: A Rare Overseas Majority

Cygames’ Uma Musume: Pretty Derby has long been a phenomenon at home, topping Japan’s mobile charts in 2021 and 2022. The June 26, 2025 global launch changed the shape of its business almost overnight. In the first 30 days, mobile revenue reached $45.4m, with 50.3% from outside Japan—a watershed moment for a gacha title whose lifetime earnings had been overwhelmingly domestic.

Revenue breakdown (first 30 days, mobile)

Region/Market	Revenue (US$)	Share of Overseas	Share of Global
Japan	22.6m	—	49.7%
All Overseas	22.8m	100%	50.3%
— United States	~15.6m	68%	34%
— Canada	~1.4m	6%	3%
— Other markets (incl. UK, AU, etc.)	~5.8m	26%	12.3%

Note: Earlier 18-day reads already flagged the same pattern—$6.6m outside Japan, with the US comprising 65% of that figure—so the 30-day totals are a consistent continuation rather than an anomaly.

Crucially, as the game entered month two, Japan’s share slid further to 47.7%, indicating that Uma Musume Pretty Derby revenue outside Japan is not only sizable—it’s growing as a proportion of the whole.

Why the West Is Clicking With a “Very Japanese” Concept

At first glance, Uma Musume looks niche: racehorses reimagined as anime girls who train at an academy, run in 18-horse fields, and perform idol-style concerts. But several product and cultural vectors are aligning to unlock demand in the US, Canada, and beyond:

1. Genre fusion with compulsion loops that travel. The experience blends sports management, roguelite run structures, and gacha. Players train a single “horse girl” for a season, then roll forward the lineage of that veteran’s traits into the next run. It’s a sticky loop—progress is run-based, compounding, and partly randomized, producing that “just one more” cadence familiar to Western roguelite fans.

2. Collection and optimization—on steroids. The Support Card layer acts like a min-max build system (think RPG gear rolls), encouraging methodical tinkering in pursuit of “legendary” outcomes. Even perfect runs can falter late, creating spikes of tension and a strong rationale to spend on better chances.

3. A real-world anchor that deepens fandom. Every character is inspired by an actual Japanese racehorse—their histories, quirks, and legacies surface in-game. This grounding has sparked a curious phenomenon: players who came for the anime loop often discover real horse racing, watch archived races on YouTube, and even tour stables. That cross-pollination fuels community content, discussion, and retention.

4. Distribution tailwinds beyond mobile. The Steam launch supercharged awareness, with 25k–40k concurrent players most days and peaks exceeding ~87k in July. PC visibility (Steam charts, Twitch) amplifies social discoverability and funnels new users back to mobile, where monetization is deepest.

5. Social virality over paid blasts. Without an outsized Western ad blitz, Uma Musume rose on TikTok, Twitch, and Reddit. Short-form clips (winning sprints, gacha pulls, perfect trait rolls) are tailor-made for feed algorithms, providing efficient, compounding reach.

   
   

Monetization Math: Japan vs. Everywhere Else

A central storyline behind Uma Musume Pretty Derby revenue outside Japan is the RPD gap:

• Japan RPD: ~$177.64

• Overseas RPD: ~$11.68

That’s a 15x delta. Interpreting it:

• Japan remains the monetization apex. Longstanding gacha norms, dense veteran cohorts, and culture around horse racing all support deeper per-user spend.

• The West scales with volume. Lower per-user spend can still translate into strong revenue if the user base scales. Early US numbers suggest that’s happening: in month one, the US alone contributed 34% of global spend.

• Benchmarking against other titans. For context, estimates for Genshin Impact place RPD around $45.69 in top eastern markets and $24.68 in top western territories. Uma Musume’s Japanese RPD is dramatically higher; its Western RPD is lower—again hinting that growth in the West will be a scale game, not a “superwhale” game.

What this means for strategy

• Expect content cadence and FOMO windows (e.g., limited banners, collabs, high-impact Support Cards) to be the levers Cygames pulls to lift Western RPD without alienating newcomers.

• PC–mobile cross-promotion will matter disproportionately in the West, where Steam visibility converts into mobile ARPU over time.

• Localization and culturalization (events, references, time zones, live-ops timing) will shape retention curves. Western players reward predictable schedules and clear communication around pity, off-banner risk, and banner value.

Country Highlights Beyond Japan

United States: The Overseas Flagship

• ~$15.6m in month one, 68% of overseas, 34% of total—clearly the second-largest market worldwide right out of the gate.

• Fit with US tastes: sports management, run-based mastery, and the collect/optimize meta mesh well with US gamer habits.

• Twitch + TikTok loops (short highlights, pulls, perfect races) are working, particularly among communities already primed by roguelites and team-builder RPGs.

Canada, UK, Australia: The English-Language Cluster

• Canada posted ~$1.4m in the first 30 days, around 6% of overseas revenue.

• The UK and Australia built noticeable momentum during the first weeks and continue to trend upward as word-of-mouth compounds and collab content trickles in.

Asia ex-Japan & Europe

• Growth here likely follows content familiarity and IP awareness. Regions with anime penetration and gacha literacy should show steadier monetization curves, albeit below Japan’s RPD.

From “Japan-Heavy” to “Global Balanced”?

Before the worldwide release, Uma Musume’s lifetime revenue skewed ~98% to Japan. After going global, two shifts are visible:

1. Mix rebalancing is underway. Hitting 50.3% outside Japan in month one, then 47.7% Japan share in early month two, strongly suggests the game is transitioning from a Japan-centric to a bi-regional (Japan + West) business.

2. Durability signal. Japan had recorded three years of sequential decline before the global launch. International uptake is now offsetting the home market’s downtrend, potentially flattening or reversing the overall revenue trajectory—especially if Cygames sustains the content flywheel.

   
   

Product & Live-Ops Levers to Watch

To sustain Uma Musume Pretty Derby revenue outside Japan, Cygames will likely emphasize:

• Banner design and pity clarity. Western players scrutinize value. Transparent rates, clear pity mechanics, and compelling Support Card kits will be decisive.

• Marquee collaborations. Brand and event tie-ins that resonate globally can spike both acquisition and ARPDAU.

• New-player runway. Onboarding that accelerates the first “perfect season” (or close to it) can raise the % of players who “get” the lineage loop and stick around.

• Seasonal event cadence. Predictable, timezone-sensitive events (NA/EU timing) avoid fatigue and maximize participation while school/work calendars vary.

• PC <> mobile synergy. Steam updates that showcase new content and route players into mobile gacha moments can lift blended monetization without heavy UA spend.

Risks and Headwinds

• Regulatory tides for gacha. Shifts in disclosure or monetization rules (loot box frameworks, minor protections) could alter conversion and spend patterns, especially in Europe.

• Content bottlenecks. A run-based, lineage-driven game needs a steady stream of characters, Support Cards, tracks, and events; cadence slippage can deflate momentum in newer markets.

• Cultural gap management. Some references, narratives, or in-jokes land differently outside Japan; localization must explain without over-explaining to preserve charm.

• RPD ceiling in the West. Even with scale, Western RPD may remain structurally lower; revenue growth will hinge on active users and returning cohorts, not just banner whales.

Outlook: The Next Phase of Globalization

Given the first month’s 50.3% overseas share and the early trend into month two, the most probable near-term path is continued global mix expansion. Three scenarios to consider:

1. Steady Mix Expansion (Base Case). Overseas share stabilizes >50%, led by the US, with English-language markets compounding via social virality and Steam visibility. Monthly global revenue stays robust even if Japan remains below 2021 peaks.

2. Event-Driven Upswings (Bull Case). A sequence of high-appeal banners/collabs timed to Western holidays, plus creator-led challenges/“perfect lineage” races, produces spikes that lift Western RPD temporarily and reset higher baselines.

3. Cadence Drag (Bear Case). If event pacing slows or meta upgrades underwhelm, Western cohorts churn before habit formation, and overseas share dips back toward <50%, re-concentrating the mix in Japan.

The deciding variables will be content quality, cadence discipline, and social proof—areas where Uma Musume has already shown strength.

Final Word

The headline is no longer just that Uma Musume is enormous in Japan; it’s that Uma Musume Pretty Derby revenue outside Japan is now carrying half (or more) of the load in live operations. With the US quickly becoming the #2 market worldwide, Canada and other English-speaking regions rising, and platform spillover from Steam to mobile, Cygames has unlocked a genuine second growth curve. If the studio sustains clear, value-forward banner design, predictable global live-ops, and creator-friendly moments that showcase the thrill of a perfect run, the “horse girls” aren’t just galloping abroad—they’re setting the pace.