- 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.
After nearly two years of back-and-forth, Konami Digital Entertainment and Cygames, the studio behind Umamusume Pretty Derby, have finally buried the hatchet. CyberAgent, the parent of Cygames, announced on November 7, 2025.
Cygames maintains that no infringement occurred, but settled to protect the game and its players
The dispute began in 2023, when KONAMI filed a lawsuit alleging that Cygames had infringed on several of its patents related to Umamusume’s core gameplay. The publisher demanded more than $26 million in damages and even sought to suspend the game’s services.
Although neither company revealed which exact mechanics caused the issue, many speculated that Umamusume’s “training” system, a key gameplay feature where players develop their horse-girl racers, might have been too similar to systems seen in KONAMI titles like Power Pros and Tokimeki Memorial.
Since being sued, Cygames had filed invalidity trials against all 18 patents involved in the lawsuit, maintaining that there was no infringement. However, in order to resolve the dispute quickly and to ensure that Umamusume: Pretty Derby players can continue to enjoy the game, both parties agreed to settle the matter.
The full details of the settlement, including the specific patents involved and the terms of it, will remain confidential.
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