Sony Files Lawsuit Against Tencent Over Alleged "Slavish Clone" of Horizon Series, Light of Motiram
Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially filed a lawsuit against Tencent, accusing the Chinese tech giant of producing what it calls a “slavish clone” of its acclaimed Horizon video game series with Tencent’s upcoming title Light of Motiram. The lawsuit, filed for copyright and trademark infringement, was first reported by Reuters, which also confirmed that Sony’s legal complaint specifically referenced how the gaming press described Light of Motiram as a “knock-off” and even used terms such as “Horizon Zero Originality” to describe it.
Light of Motiram, announced in November 2024, immediately raised eyebrows for its striking resemblance to Sony’s Horizon franchise. From visual design to character silhouettes and mechanical beast aesthetics, comparisons flooded social media and gaming forums, accusing the title of being a blatant copy of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The situation escalated earlier this year when Tencent released a gameplay trailer for Light of Motiram that further reinforced perceptions that the title mirrored Sony’s intellectual property, offering little that differentiated it as an original creation.
According to Sony's lawsuit, the company alleges that Tencent not only copied key gameplay elements and stylistic aspects from the Horizon series but also previously approached Sony in 2024 with an offer to collaborate on an official Horizon game, which Sony ultimately declined. Sony now contends that Tencent instead proceeded to develop Light of Motiram as a thinly veiled imitation.
While public opinion has heavily leaned toward labeling Light of Motiram as a derivative product, the challenge now falls to Sony’s legal team to prove its claims in court something that is notoriously difficult in cases involving video game IP. The situation bears similarity to Nintendo’s ongoing lawsuit against PocketPair, creators of Palworld, for allegedly infringing on Pokémon copyrights. As the gaming industry grows increasingly global and fast-paced, such legal disputes are poised to test the boundaries of creative inspiration versus copyright infringement.
This case is being closely watched across the industry, not only for its high-profile nature involving two of the world's biggest game publishers, but also for the potential precedent it could set regarding how closely a new game can resemble an existing franchise without crossing into legal territory.
Do you believe Light of Motiram crosses the line from inspiration into imitation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
