KONAMI and Cygames finally settle 2-year Umamusume: Pretty Derby patent lawsuit

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Story Highlights

  • Konami and Cygames end their legal battle over Umamusume’s alleged patent infringement
  • The 2023 lawsuit demanded over $26 million and the suspension of Umamusume’s services.
  • Details of the patents and settlement remain confidential between both companies.

Konami Digital Entertainment and Cygames, the creators of Umamusume Pretty Derby, have resolved their nearly two-year-long dispute. The agreement was announced by Cygames’ parent company, CyberAgent, on November 7, 2025.

Cygames maintains that no infringement occurred, but settled to protect the game and its players

So, this whole thing started back in 2023. Konami actually sued Cygames, claiming Umamusume was stepping on their patents – basically, using ideas Konami already had. They weren’t messing around either – they asked for over $26 million in damages and even tried to get Umamusume shut down completely! It was a pretty scary time for the game, honestly.

While the specific cause wasn’t confirmed by either company, many believed the problem stemmed from similarities between Umamusume’s core “training” system – where players develop their horse-girl racers – and those found in KONAMI games like Power Pros and Tokimeki Memorial.

After being sued, Cygames challenged the validity of all 18 patents involved, arguing they hadn’t violated them. However, to quickly resolve the legal issues and ensure players could keep enjoying Umamusume: Pretty Derby, both sides reached a settlement agreement.

The specifics of the agreement, such as which patents were included and the exact terms, will not be made public.

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2025-11-10 03:11