Konami filed a lawsuit against Cygames over the game system used in Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Back in 31 March, 2023, game and entertainment company Konami filed a lawsuit against Cygames in the Tokyo District Court over alleged patent infringement.
The alleged infringement stems from the game system used by Cygames’ Umamusume: Pretty Derby. The specific patent is believed to be Japanese Patent No. 5814300, a game system where players raise and strengthen characters through a training scenario that includes various events, including the use of support characters influencing in-game story and events.
Konami further claimed that the Career system used by Umamusume: Pretty Derby was similar to the mechanics used in the Power Pro Baseball franchise.
Konami sought an injunction to halt Umamusume: Pretty Derby’s development, as well as approximately JPY 4 billion (or US$29 million at the time) in damages.
Cygames resolves lawsuit through undisclosed settlement
Two years after the lawsuit was filed, Cygames, through its official website, released an update about its progress, revealing that the company has chosen to settle with Konami over an undisclosed amount. The details are confidential under a nondisclosure agreement.
Part of the statement reads (through a machine translation):
In response to this matter, since the lawsuit was filed on March 31, 2023, the Company has requested invalidation trials for all of the patents in question (18 patents) in this lawsuit.
Although the Company believes that there is no fact of patent infringement, it has decided to settle the matter in order to quickly resolve the dispute and ensure an environment in which users of "Umamusume: Pretty Derby" can continue to enjoy the game with peace of mind for a long time to come.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby has continued to enjoy massive successes throughout the duration of the lawsuit, and has entered the global market explosively just this July 2025. Fans of the game can infer that Cygames likely chose to settle the lawsuit to avoid affecting the game’s trajectory, as it continues to dominate the global gacha sphere.
Just today, 7 November, Umamusume: Pretty Derby has released a new Career scenario for global players to enjoy, which is the “Unity Cup (Shine On, Team Spirit!)”. The major update came with the game’s Half-Anniversary celebrations.
