Nonprofit organization PETA faced significant backlash after posting fanart depicting Silence Suzuka, a character from the popular racing game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, in a graphic and painful injury scenario to highlight the suffering of real racehorses. The post, titled “If Umamusume: Pretty Derby was Honest,” used an image of the character crying in pain from a severe leg injury, referencing the tragic fate of the real racehorse Silence Suzuka. Fans criticized the depiction as sensationalized and disrespectful, arguing it trivialized the horse’s story and misused the game’s intellectual property.

The controversy is compounded by Cygames’s strict guidelines on derivative works, which prohibit violent or gory portrayals and the use of characters for political or ideological advocacy to protect the reputations of the real horses and maintain good relations with rights holders like the Japan Racing Association. Fans fear PETA’s post could jeopardize Cygames’s partnerships and the future of the game, especially since Cygames has actively supported racehorse welfare. The incident highlights tensions between activist messaging and the careful management of licensed content tied to real-world subjects.