Sony Calls Tencent’s Horizon Clone Defense “Nonsense” in Light of Motiram Lawsuit

The legal battle between Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Tencent over Light of Motiram continues to escalate. What began as a copyright dispute has now turned into one of the most high-profile lawsuits in the gaming industry. In a new court filing, Sony blasted Tencent’s defense of its game as “nonsense,” reaffirming its stance that Light of Motiram is a blatant imitation of PlayStation and Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise. The full report, initially covered by The Game Post, outlines Sony’s latest response to Tencent’s motion to dismiss the case.

When Light of Motiram was unveiled in November 2024, it immediately drew comparisons to Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The game’s female protagonist with red hair, its mechanical creature designs, and post-apocalyptic open-world aesthetic led to widespread accusations that Tencent had created a near “carbon-copy” of Guerrilla’s hit series.

Sony filed a lawsuit shortly after, describing Light of Motiram as a “slavish clone.” Tencent responded by editing the game’s Steam page, removing certain screenshots, and changing descriptions to make it appear less similar. The company then sought to dismiss Sony’s lawsuit, claiming that Horizon itself was not an entirely original idea — a defense Sony has now forcefully rejected.

In its latest filing, Sony called Tencent’s argument “nonsense,” asserting that Light of Motiram’s promotion and public exposure have already caused harm.

“Tencent remarkably contends SIE’s claims are unripe because, despite having announced and continuously promoted its game for months, Tencent purportedly delayed Light of Motiram’s release until 2027 after SIE sued. This is nonsense. The damage is done, and it continues.”

Sony added that Tencent’s behavior since the lawsuit began only reinforced its claims.

“Although the public expressed confusion and outrage upon discovering Light of Motiram for the knock-off that it is, Tencent remained undeterred. Tencent continued promoting its infringing game over SIE’s objection, and Tencent refused to accept any responsibility over its conduct.”

Sony’s filing also accuses Tencent of attempting to shield itself through a web of subsidiaries, arguing that the parent company, Tencent Holdings, should remain the primary defendant.

According to Sony, Tencent Holdings owns the intellectual property and trademark for Light of Motiram and operates the game’s official website. It also fully controls Aurora Studios and Polaris Quest, the teams credited with developing and publishing the game.

“After SIE was forced to sue, Tencent attempted to avoid liability by playing a shell game with its brands and entities. Tencent tried to shield Defendants that it owns and/or controls from service of process and now seeks to escape jurisdiction over the parent entity, Tencent Holdings.”

Sony argued that Tencent Holdings cannot distance itself from its subsidiaries when it routinely promotes its gaming operations under the Tencent Games brand and reports all gaming revenue under a single corporate structure.

The lawsuit further expands on Sony’s claim that Tencent’s actions go beyond copyright infringement and venture into trademark violation. The company highlights the visual similarities between Horizon’s protagonist, Aloy, and the Light of Motiram lead character.

Sony describes Tencent’s red-haired lookalike as “so egregious that numerous journalists and Horizon fans noted the striking similarities between the Aloy Character Mark and Tencent’s use of the Aloy lookalike, stating Tencent’s lookalike ‘resembles Aloy to a tee, red hair and all.’”

One journalist even commented, “If someone told me this is a spin-off of Horizon, I would easily believe them.”

Sony is now urging the court to deny Tencent’s motion to dismiss and move the case directly into the discovery phase, where it hopes to obtain internal documents from Tencent related to the development and marketing of Light of Motiram.

If the case proceeds, it could set a new precedent in video game copyright law, particularly in how closely one game can mimic another’s visual and narrative identity before crossing into infringement.

No hearing date has been announced yet, but with both Sony and Tencent standing firm, this lawsuit is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched legal battles in the gaming world.