Cygames, the Japanese video game developer responsible for a variety of popular games including Umamusume: Pretty Derby, has announced its intention to create an AI-focused subsidiary company.

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Of all the games released this year, all the triple-A blockbusters and genre-defining smash hits, nothing shook me as much as Umamusume: Pretty Derby. I won't deny that it was once a game I was embarrassed to be playing. But now? I'm all in, dude. I'm an English 27-year-old who is invested in Japanese horse racing. And if you too can push past your misgivings, you'll find one of the better strategy games released this year.

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Cygames, in collaboration with CyDesignation, has officially announced that the long-running online RPG Granblue Fantasy is heading to Steam. The PC release is scheduled for March 10, 2026, lining up perfectly with the game’s twelfth anniversary. Originally launched as a browser-based RPG, Granblue Fantasy has built a massive global following thanks to its striking art…

The post Granblue Fantasy Is Finally Coming to Steam in 2026 appeared first on Invision Game Community.

On January 9, 2026, Cygames announced that it established Cygames AI Studio, a subsidiary that will develop and provide generative AI-based tools and services. The website for Cygames AI Studio is available in both English and Japanese.

The announcement on Cygames's official website provided background on why it set up the subsidiary. The company statement claimed generative AI is an important technology that has the power to use accumulated ideas to power the creation of new ones. Cygames AI Studio will use the company's game development experience to build generative AI tools that "creators" could use "safely and securely." It also said that it will research and develop its own model, as well as provide generative AI services and tools for game developers. The announcement also claimed a goal is to "build a unique creative cycle to expand on the creators' creativity."

Cygames is currently recruiting for its AI Studio. Openings include engineers for language models and picture generation. These are full-time jobs that would require the person to live in or move to Japan.

Reactions to the announcement on Twitter have been largely negative. English replies and QRTs call Cygames out of touch, as well as point out established issues with generative AI like art theft. Japanese users are also against this. There has been more and more backlash against generative AI since 2025. In December 2025, the Indie Game Awards stripped Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 of its GOTY wins after it came out that the studio had used generative AI in development and launched with those genAI assets until they were patched out.

Cygames had a good reputation in 2025 with the global release of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, which also won Best Mobile Game at the Game Awards 2025.

The post Cygames Establishes Cygames AI Studio appeared first on Siliconera.

Gift issued an apology in both English and Japanese for selling Umamusume: Pretty Derby plush toys of the character Vivlos in which she has human ears in addition to her normal horse ones. This happened at Comic Market 107 in December 2025, as well as the AmiAmi Akihabara Radio Kaikan Store. It confirmed refunds and exchanges are available until March 31st, 2026. The correct version of the plush will be released in May 2026.

Of course, Gift shared photos of the Vivlos Umamusume: Pretty Derby plush of her with human ears. The photo is a close-up, however. So we don’t get to see what she looks like officially with both human ears and horse ears. The company also circled the ears on the photo, to show what shouldn’t have been. 

You can see a picture of the full plush as it should have appeared alongside the close-up of her with human ears below.

As for the return process, people who don’t want an Umamusume Vivlos plush of her with extra human ears can choose either a refund or a replacement by emailing the official address at support@oh-ami.com. If someone isn’t in Japan and had purchased the doll, they can only choose the exchange option. If someone gets a refund, they get 6,500円 back. With the exchange, the defective plush is returned and the new one will ship in May 2026. 

Vivlos is pretty popular when it comes to Umamusume merchandise in Japan. Her and her sisters Cheval Grand and Verxina appeared as Sega crane game plush in August 2025.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for PCs and mobile devices, and the replacement Vivlos Gift plush will appear in May 2026.

The post Gift Apologies for Umamusume Plush With Human Ears appeared first on Siliconera.

Due to the accelerated schedule for the global version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, the Halloween Trainee alts for Rice Shower and Super Creek are only just joining the worldwide version on November 24, 2025. They are also joined by two new SSR Halloween-themed cards with Tamamo Cross and Zenno Rob Roy on them. That banner and a Halloween Makeover will be live until December 6, 2025, and the new characters and cards will join the general poll after that.

Like many other alts, the Halloween Rice Shower and Super Creek alts aren’t all that different from their standard Trainee versions, in terms of stats, though they have different Growth Rates and skillsets. Chiffon-Wrapped Mummy: Super Creek is still designed to work as a Pace Chaser who focuses on Medium and Long distance Turf races. She comes with the Unique Skill Give Mummy a Hug, which helps her break out of the pack and pass on the final straight if the positioning is right. Other notable Potential Skills include Professor of Curvature and Mystifying Murmur. Vampire Makeover: Rice Shower is intended to be a Pace Chaser who runs Medium and Long Turf races as well. Her Unique Skill Every Rose Has Its Fangs is more conditional, since she needs to be both well-positioned and pressured by another runner for it to restore stamina. Her most remarkable Potential Skills are Tantalizing Trick and Corner Recovery. 

Here are both of those infographics:

In the case of the Halloween SSR Support Cards, you should basically only pull for the Beware Halloween Night: Tamamo Cross Power card and Magical Heroine: Zenno Rob Roy Speed card if you raise a lot of Late Surgers, as both of the major Career Event skills you earn from them are for those types of runners. The Tamamo Cross one’s is 15,000,000 CC, which increases velocity on an uphill for a Late Surger. The Zenno Rob Roy one could give a Late Surger the Lie in Wait stamina recovering skill that works if they’re near the back mid-race.

Here are the images Cygames shared for both of those:

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices worldwide, and the Halloween Chiffon-Wrapped Mummy: Super Creek, Vampire Makeover: Rice Shower, and Beware Halloween Night: Tamamo Cross Power card, and Magical Heroine: Zenno Rob Roy Speed card all debut in the global version on November 24, 2025.

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