If you spend hours grinding daily races just to activate a passive bonus on a character you already pulled, relief is finally here. Cygames is tearing down the entire progression economy for the Japanese version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby. Starting October 7, 2025, the game will completely abandon its Support Card leveling system in favour of instant unlocks.
The October Patch Erases Years of Grinding
Pulling a duplicate SSR Speed Kitasan Black is currently only half the battle for dedicated players. You still need three limit breaks and a mountain of Support Points to activate its Specialty Rate Up 40 effect. Under the current rules, that specific bonus remains locked until the card hits Level 45.
The upcoming October patch changes the math entirely. That same effect will unlock the moment the card hits its third limit break, entirely bypassing the need to level it up. Because card levels will cease to exist, the developer is completely restructuring how players build and strengthen their racing decks.
For players who log in daily, this overhaul removes several tedious maintenance tasks from the core gameplay loop. The changes include:
- Card levels are completely removed from the game’s progression system
- Passive bonuses unlock instantly based purely on your limit break count
- The Enhance screen interface is losing all point-spending menus
- Support bonuses will be predictable and easier to read at a glance
Cygames confirmed these changes during their recent Paka Live TV broadcast covering new gameplay mechanics. The updated interface will exclusively highlight a card’s rarity, its uncap status, and the bonuses tied to those specific conditions.
Millions of Wasted Points Turn Into Instant Cash
The developers are completely phasing out the Support Point currency on October 7. Any SP sitting in your inventory will automatically convert into regular in-game money the moment you log in after the update.
More importantly, the studio is wiping the slate clean for veteran players. Everyone will be reimbursed for every single Support Point and coin they already spent leveling cards in the old system. These refunds will be issued directly as in-game money, giving long-term fans a sudden and very large financial reset.
This proactive approach to virtual currency refunds mirrors broader shifts in Japanese consumer protection. In October 2024, the government enforced an amendment to the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations. That legislation introduced a commitment procedure allowing publishers to self-correct suspected misleading trade terms to avoid surcharges, encouraging player-friendly economy updates just like this one.
| Progression Element | Old System (Pre-Oct 7) | New System (Post-Oct 7) |
|---|---|---|
| Stat Unlocks | Requires SP, Money, and Limit Breaks | Unlocks instantly upon Limit Break |
| Jupiter Cup Rewards | Awards Support Points (SP) | Awards strengthening items |
| Team Trial Scaling | Scales with card level | Scales with card rarity and uncap |
A Careful Balance for Free Players
Team Trial bonuses currently scale with card level, punishing newer players who lack the resources to upgrade their entire collection. After the patch, these bonuses will scale strictly with card rarity and uncap level. If you own multiple copies of a card, its trial bonuses will be stronger without any additional resource grinding.
We want new users and non-paying users to be able to enjoy the game just as much as we want to support users who have large card collections.
The quote above from Yuito Kimura, Game Producer and Executive Director at Cygames, highlights the studio’s changing philosophy. The team is trying to lower the barrier to entry while still rewarding players who invest heavily in gacha banners.
This UI redesign also arrives after a complicated legal year for the publisher. Cygames was recently involved in a patent infringement lawsuit with Konami regarding specific gameplay and training mechanics. While not explicitly linked, the decision to radically redesign the support card screens and distance their progression from traditional grinding mechanics helps differentiate their interface from older competitors.
The Wait Begins for the Global Audience
Western players who just started their racing careers will have to stick with the old grind for the foreseeable future. Cygames explicitly noted that the October overhaul is exclusive to the Japanese server for now.
The official global version of the game only just launched across mobile and PC platforms in June 2025. Despite Japan remaining the primary lifetime market with an estimated $2.5 billion in revenue, the international release has already proven lucrative. The global version generated $34 million in mobile revenue during its first 30 days alone, with US players contributing over 70 percent of that total.
It is standard industry practice for major mechanics to debut in the home region before rolling out overseas. Global players can likely expect these economy changes to arrive in a future client update once the newer servers mature.
For a mobile title that relies so heavily on slow progression and resource management, gutting the core upgrade loop is a bold move. The company reported a 103.3 percent year-on-year increase in operating profit for the fiscal year ending September 2025, giving them the financial stability to take risks with their biggest property. Whether fans embrace the streamlined mechanics or miss the daily progression loop, this #Umamusume update represents one of the boldest economy resets in modern #MobileGaming history.
