Horse racing scene garners new fans thanks to Umamusume: Pretty Derby

The horse racing scene in Malaysia is seeing a surge in popularity thanks to a video game featuring anime horse girls called Umamusume: Pretty Derby.

The mobile and PC title has players managing and training a chosen horse girl (think anime girl with horse ears, tail, and strength) to win championship races in the Twinkle Derby. Each character has unique personalities and ambitions – from main character favourites like Special Week and Tokai Teio to outrageous figures such as Gold Ship and Agnes Tachyon.

The game has been a huge money-maker for both its developer and publisher, Cygames, and the Japanese horse-racing industry.

With its recent global push in mid-2025, Malaysian gaming fans have been drawn to this anime game that resembles spreadsheet sims such as Football Manager – but with anime horse girls.

Malaysia’s Selangor Turf Club (STC) is embracing the trend by welcoming new horse racing fans at this afternoon’s Merdeka Cup, with top regional cosplayers attending in their Umamusume costumes.

There’s even an unofficial guide and etiquette list if you happen to be visiting the STC for the first time:

This is one of the more effective ways for gaming to transcend screens and digital realms – encouraging fandoms to support the local industries they represent.

It has worked well in Japan for years, and with enough push from both Cygames and its growing player base, it could work in Southeast Asia too.

With any luck, some of the STC’s finest horses might one day become Umamusumes in the game.

Short beats

HoYoverse has announced closed beta test recruitment for its upcoming creature-collection title Honkai Nexus Anima.

Music-savvy puzzle game Lumines Arise will be out on Nov 11 for PC and PlayStation consoles. A demo for both versions is already available.

Several publishers, including Capcom and Sony Interactive Entertainment, have announced their playable games lineup for September’s Tokyo Game Show 2025 in Japan.

Bandai Namco Asia will be making an appearance with game demos at Cos-Mic 2025, an anime convention hosted by Comic Fiesta at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Sega and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will host an RGG Summit 2025 on Sept 24, likely focused on their upcoming title Stranger Than Heaven.

Several indie games have delayed release dates due to Hollow Knight: Silksong launching on Sept 4.

CD Projekt’s headcount has expanded to nearly 800.

We reviewed the Sega action title Shinobi: Art of Vengeance ahead of its Aug 29 release.

We also discussed the video games featured at this year’s Animangaki anime expo and the biggest announcements from Gamescom 2025.

Games out this week

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is Sega’s latest attempt at revitalising the 2D arcade action franchise, featuring ninja Joe Musashi, challenging levels, and tough bosses. This new entry is made by Lizardcube, the studio behind the successful Streets of Rage 4.

Gears of War: Reloaded is a new remaster of the original 2006 Xbox title. This release marks the first time the third-person shooter series is available on PlayStation consoles.

Helldivers 2 is finally out for Xbox Series X and S.

Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening is a 2D action platformer based on the first 12 episodes of the 1980s sci-fi anime series.

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar is the latest farming simulation from the original Harvest Moon developers. Players can now build farms, bazaars, and communities in the new town of Zephyr.

Destiny: Rising is the newest portable version of the multiplayer first-person shooter from Bungie, developed by NetEase Games for iOS and Android.

Recommended viewing

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver discusses the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) slop on social media – an issue relevant to gaming as many developers rely on generative AI for artistic shortcuts.

For a more focused talk on the dangers of AI in game development, here’s a thought piece from Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw.