Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent in the United States, accusing the Chinese company of copyright infringement over an upcoming game it says is closely similar to its Horizon series. Tencent launched Light of Motiram, an open-world survival game last year that immediately attracted attention due to its similarities to Horizon games. According to Reuters, Sony is currently suing the company, claiming the game is a “slave clone” of its first-party action-adventure series.
Sony sues Tencent for copyright infringement
According to Reuters, Sony said in the lawsuit that Tencent’s “Light of Motiram” plagiarized multiple elements from Guerrilla Games’ “Horizon: Zero Dawn” and its sequel “Horizon: Forbidden West.” Sony believes the offending game may confuse customers.
Sony further claims in the lawsuit that Tencent made an offer to collaborate on a new game “Horizon” in 2024, but the PlayStation parent company rejected the offer. Tencent then launched “Light of Motiram”, and according to Reuters, Sony said that the game’s gameplay, story themes and artistic elements are the same as the “Horizon” game.
Sony is seeking monetary damages from Tencent and an injunction against the company infringing on its intellectual property rights.
Light of Motiram was released in November 2024, but immediately drew criticism for its visual and thematic similarities to the Horizon games. The Tencent game features tamable mechanical animals called “Animatronics” and is set in a post-apocalyptic wilderness – both very reminiscent of Horizon Zero Dawn. The game also features survival and crafting elements similar to Palworld. Light of Motiram is developed by Polaris Quest and is currently wishlisted on Steam. Tencent has yet to confirm a release date for the game.
Amid the lawsuit, Sony also finally confirmed franchise sales for Horizon Games. According to court documents, X user @shinobi602 discovered that the Horizon series has sold more than 38 million copies worldwide. Sony’s franchise sales figures will include the two mainline Horizon games and their DLC content, the Horizon Zero Dawn remaster, the LEGO Horizon Adventure spin-off and the Horizon: Call of the Mountain VR game.
