Umamusume Champions Meeting Is Fantastic, Infuriating PvP

I hate Gold Ship. No, let me be more clear. I hate any Gold Ship that isn’t one of the ones I raised. Mine are precious angels who have helped me win the Umamusume: Pretty Derby Champions Meeting: Taurus Cup PvP races sometimes. All those other ones who come up out of nowhere and so often knock my Symboli Rudolf, Gold Ship, or Silence Suzuka out of place? They’re just jerks. This is what the PvP in Umamusume: Pretty Derby has done to me, and I love it for that. 

In general, an Umamusume: Pretty Derby Champions Meeting PvP race isn’t all that different from the casual ones we can set up in the game. We pick three of our Veteran characters that we feel best meet the stipulations for the current race. In this August 2025 instance, that meant a 2,400m Medium race on a left-handed track in spring when it is sunny and the turf is firm. However, other conditions make it more challenging. You can opt into Graded races, which are more challenging ranked ones. You pick a group of three runners, as do two other opponents. Then, you go through five races. In the case of the first one, you need to win three to be in Group A. But in general, you’re trying to win as many as possible.

Screenshots by Siliconera

Going into this first global version Champions Meeting, we all had some idea of what to expect. This race did already run in the Japanese version in 2021, after all. However, the actual experience of it ended up being sobering for me. Seeing my horse daughters who had over 10,000 points to their name and A ratings tumble down in ranks was heartbreaking. However, I think it sometimes felt even worse when they’d be so close and almost in first, but would see that victory stolen away.

Do you know how it feels to be in a race with each playing putting a Gold Ship on their team, then seeing the top four horses being an enemy’s Gold Ship, your Gold Ship, your Symboli Rudolf, and finally the other Gold Ship? Tragic!

Now, in a way this is all incredibly satisfying. Because we know the terms of the races, we can do a lot of preparing and planning! Do we raise three serious contenders, with high stamina and stamina-restoring skills to counter debuffs, for our team? Do we go with one or maybe even two debuffers who will make opponents feel rushed, fatigued, and generally miserable so our one good unit has a better chance? Do we all worship Gold Ship as our lord and savior for the Umamusume: Pretty Derby Champions Meeting PvP races? ...I mean, from what I’ve seen, everyone’s turned to Gold Ship.

Screenshots by Siliconera

But at the same time, it 100% does feel infuriating. Stephanie warned all of us about what to use ahead of the races. I thought I prepared. I made a Gold Ship with the best Stamina skills I could muster and inheritances from Narita Taishin like Nemesis. I made sure Symboli Rudolf had Dominator. I made a new Silence Suzuka, in hopes of making her someone who might win a race, but would definitely get in other people’s ways. But nope. Somehow, every other Gold Ship is better. 

Which means I’m desperately retrained again, but at the same loved it. Because it meant a new challenge. New approaches to build. New insights.

Now with Umamusume: Pretty Derby Champions Meeting: Gemini Cup coming up next, I honestly feel even more excited about the next PvP event. Now I know what I’m dealing with. I have a new challenge. That Gold Ship I built that did well? Maybe she can work for this one too! I should build a new Narita Taishin with some passives that apply to that race! Maybe it’s time I developed a brutal Grass Wonder? It’s just so enthralling, and I can’t wait to see other players try to beat my team again.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the Champions Meeting: Gemini Cup appears in September 2025. The original anime is on Crunchyroll, and the Cinderella Gray anime is on Amazon. 

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