Wuthering Waves vs Umamusume: Which Deserves to be Mobile Game of the Year?

In the fiercely competitive world of mobile gacha games, few titles have sparked as much debate in 2025 as Wuthering Waves (WuWa) and Umamusume: Pretty Derby (often stylized as Umamusume). WuWa, the open-world action RPG from Kuro Games, launched globally in May 2024 and has maintained a strong presence. Umamusume, Cygames' horse-girl racing and training sim, finally brought its global English server in June 2025 after years of dominance in Japan. Both games boast dedicated fanbases, stunning visuals in their own right, and addictive gacha mechanics, but only one can claim the crown of Mobile Game of the Year.

In this article, Gurugamer will break it down across key criteria: gacha cost, gameplay, scale and graphics, player count, and development schedule. Spoiler: the verdict is not close.

Gacha Cost: WuWa Delivers Value, Umamusume Punishes Patience

Gacha systems are the lifeblood of these games, and pity mechanics determine how "whale-friendly" or F2P-accessible they truly are. WuWa shines here with a generous setup: a hard pity at 80 pulls for a 5-star, a soft pity kicking in around 65-70 pulls where rates spike dramatically, and crucially, pity carries over between banners of the same type (character or weapon). This means you are never fully resetting your progress, making it far easier to build a roster without breaking the bank.

Umamusume, by contrast, feels archaic. There is no soft pity or rate-up system, just a flat 200 pulls to earn enough Exchange Points (1 per pull) for a guaranteed featured SSR character or support card. Worse, these points do not carry over between banners. Once one ends, you are back to square one. This turns gacha into a grueling marathon, especially for limited-time favorites.

Winner: WuWa. F2P players and light spenders thrive in WuWa whereas Umamusume demands commitment or cash.

Gameplay: Skill vs. Spreadsheet Simulator

Umamusume's core loop revolves around training horse girls for races: raise stats, pick the right inheritance, and optimize for track conditions. But once you are in the race? It is pure auto-pilot, a stat check where victory hinges on having the optimal build for the map. There is no dodging, no combos, and no real-time decisions. It is engaging for min-maxers but lacks thrill for action fans.

WuWa flips the script. Exploration and combat demand both gear optimization (echos and weapons as stat checks) and mechanical skill. Perfect dodges trigger Echo parries, counters chain into devastating rotations, and boss fights reward precise timing over raw power. It feels Genshin-like but faster, flashier, and more punishing, delivering pure adrenaline.

Winner: WuWa. Depth keeps players hooked long-term while stat-stacking alone gets stale fast.

Scale and Graphics: Epic World vs. Track-Bound Sim

WuWa is a technical marvel: vast, seamless open-world maps filled with verticality, secrets, and jaw-dropping vistas. Dynamic weather, destructible environments, and Unreal Engine polish make every traversal feel alive, like a console game on your phone.

Umamusume offers charming 2D/3D races and cute character designs, but it is confined to menus, dorms, and linear tracks. There is no open world and no exploration, just a polished "flash game" vibe elevated by anime flair. It runs buttery smooth, but lacks grandeur.

Winner: WuWa. Mobile GOTY demands ambition, and WuWa delivers a world worth losing yourself in.

Player Count: Sustained Success vs. Launch Hype Fade

Player engagement reveals longevity. As of November 2025:

WuWa boasts higher mobile active users (the heart of "mobile" gaming) with steady retention over 18 months. Umamusume exploded on Steam at launch (June 2025) thanks to streamers but has since halved, struggling to maintain momentum.

Winner: WuWa. True popularity endures beyond the hype cycle.

Rushed Schedule: Fresh Start vs. Catch-Up Chaos

WuWa launched globally day one, allowing Kuro Games to pace content perfectly, with no backlog and no compromises.

Umamusume's global server, arriving four years after Japan, is force-feeding years of content. Banners fly by at 1.5x JP speed, with players complaining of "too fast" schedules and no hope of syncing up. Limited reruns and powercreep from missed JP events leave newbies overwhelmed.

Winner: WuWa. A unified roadmap builds trust while rushed ports breed frustration.

The Verdict: Wuthering Waves Takes the Throne

WuWa sweeps every category: kinder gacha, skillful combat, breathtaking scale, stronger sustained players, and smart global planning. Umamusume charms with its niche appeal and adorable waifus, but it feels dated and overwhelmed by its own history. For Mobile Game of the Year 2025, Wuthering Waves is not just the better contender. It is the clear champion. Download it, land into that open world, and see why.