Game Awards 2026 Mobile Game winner Umamusume: Pretty Derby recently got a new upgrade for its 1.32.8 update. After experiencing training difficulty for competitive multiplayer, developer studio Cygames decided to improve two of the three available campaign modes: Unity Cup and URA Finale. I playtested between the two to determine which will give players the best results.
URA Finale Includes Happy Meek Training
Previously, Pretty Derby heavily relied on the Support Card system to give their Umamusume better racing stats. Each offered special runner and track skills, racing and fan bonuses, and training stat boosts. Players were then challenged by Cygames’s stoic ashen horse, Happy Meek, in the URA Finale.
Now, Happy Meek has a new role as a bonus support character. Unlike previous characters, such as Academy Head Yayoi Akikawa and her assistant Tazuna Hayakawa, she’ll be training alongside your chosen Uma. Meek will spawn between the five stats (Speed, Stamina, Power, Guts, and Wit) for you to choose from. She’ll grant the usual stat boost during successful training montages like the Support Cards from your deck.
The more you encounter Meek, she’ll have higher chances of challenging your trainee to a stat duel. Stat duels are different from the Supportive Training Boost you get from max bonds.
Meek offers players a chance to challenge her between three scrimmages to test their stat score. Predictions are graded from Open Triangle (Tough) to Open Circle (Best Shot). Players who beat her will be rewarded with a Racing Spirit skill. Similar to the Ignited and Burning skills in Unity Cup, Racing Spirit offers racing buffs based on its designated stat.
Out of the five Happy Meek rewards, I found that Stamina is the best Racing Spirit. Your chosen Uma with this skill will moderately drain their endurance in exchange for faster velocity on the last spurt. It’s perfect for players who are training Pace Chasers and End Closers who need that speed boost to steal first place. My Oguri Cap won 5 races after equipping it! Even if players lose, Meek will still give the trainees additional stat boost and skill points.
Unity Cup Provides Extreme Spirit Boosts
Unity Cup is the best Pretty Derby campaign that the Global version has to offer. Players praise it for its training sessions, recruiting additional team members outside of the Support Card decks and Spirit Burst. It gave Umas extra stats and team racing boost. It’s still one of the fastest ways to grind experience to reach higher ranks.
Pretty Derby 1.32.8 update takes Spirit Burst to another level that changed beginners’ and struggling players’ experiences for the better. The new Extreme Spirit Burst is an upgraded version that offers Umas a 0% chance of training failure. This is inspired by the Good Luck Charm from the hardest campaign, Trackblazer. Players can now get it for free rather than spending Tazuna Shop Points.
Players can find the Extreme Spirit Burst by locating the purple flame. Unity Cup will mostly spawn it when the trainee’s energy is either halfway or nearly depleted. Like its blue flame counterpart, it can offer additional racing skills, stat boosts, and multiple can be activated simultaneously.
Pretty Derby Players Can Choose Their Sparks
Not only are the reworked mechanics proven to work, but there are also additional features added for better sparks. Stat increases will raise stat gain caps and can reroll sparks in exchange for 30 TP. This also lowers the difficulty of players grinding for stronger Uma trainees. They now have a 50/50 chance of gaining good attributes that fit their character build.
Both of the improved campaigns have attracted new and returning players to play Pretty Derby without slaving away too many hours per week for an A rank or higher status. Their positive receptions have drastically transformed the Global version into a wonderful experience again and a nice break from Trackblazer. Just in time for the Make a Splash! Summer Showdown Event!
