Japanese entertainment company Cygames becomes the Title Partner of the Grand Prix de Paris

France Galop teams up with Cygames, a Japanese video game publisher and developer that provides video games, comics, and animations, to bring new energy to the Grand Prix de Paris 2025.

As part of this strategic partnership with France Galop, this flagship company of the Japanese video game industry becomes the Title Partner of the Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1—the highest level of competition).

The highly prestigious race will officially become the Cygames Grand Prix de Paris, taking place on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at ParisLongchamp.

Under this agreement, Cygames also becomes the Official Partner of the Garden Party, the festive lifestyle event that lets racegoers extend the excitement of the day with music and entertainment after the races.

Cygames, Inc. is renowned for the development and management of numerous game franchises including Granblue Fantasy, Shadowverse, and Umamusume: Pretty Derby—a series based on real-life horse racing. Their vision of being the best in entertainment is reflected in their constant efforts to bring original and exciting experiences to all who enjoy their content.

This collaboration marks a major milestone in the history of the Grand Prix de Paris—one of the key sporting highlights of the summer season at ParisLongchamp Racecourse. Through this partnership, France Galop continues its mission to modernize and diversify its audience. Cygames’ involvement in this prestigious sporting event aligns with its desire to introduce horse racing to a younger, more curious and connected audience, while celebrating the sporting excellence and elegance that are at the heart of horse racing.

Elie Hennau, Managing Director of France Galop, stated: "France Galop is particularly pleased to announce this partnership with Cygames, a leading Japanese entertainment company, for the much-anticipated Grand Prix de Paris and its Garden Party. This partnership is yet another step in France Galop’s ambition to put racing back in the hearts of the French public by reaching new audiences—especially younger generations who are increasingly interested in the events we host at our racecourses. The appeal of this festive and sporting day is further enhanced by the creative energy of an international entertainment brand."

Koichi Watanabe, President of Cygames, added: “It is a great honor to partner with France Galop, organizers of such prestigious French horse racing events as the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and we are incredibly proud to be appointed main sponsor of a race as storied as the Grand Prix de Paris. Cygames strives to share dreams and smiles with a global audience as the best in entertainment, and we will soon be releasing the English-language version of our real-life horse racing-inspired game Umamusume: Pretty Derby on June 26. We have put our deepest appreciation for the history and culture of racing into the game, and we hope that as the first Japanese company to partner with France Galop, our passion will reach countless racing fans on the Grand Prix de Paris’s global stage.”