California: Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a federal lawsuit against Chinese tech giant Tencent, accusing the company's upcoming game, "Light of Motiram," of being a "slavish clone" that unlawfully copies core elements from Sony's highly successful 'Horizon' video game series. The lawsuit, filed on July 28, 2025, in a California federal court, seeks an unspecified amount in damages and an immediate injunction to block the game's release, aiming to prevent "irreparable injury" to Sony's intellectual property.

According to court documents, as reported by Reuters, Sony alleges that "Light of Motiram" mimics key gameplay elements, including open-world mechanics, robotic creatures, character designs, and the distinct tribal-futuristic aesthetic of the 'Horizon' franchise. The lawsuit specifically highlights similarities to 'Horizon Zero Dawn' (released in 2017) and its sequel 'Horizon Forbidden West' (released in 2022). Sony claims Tencent's promotional materials, including trailers and screenshots, have "misappropriated protectable elements" of the 'Horizon' franchise to a "significant degree," causing consumer confusion and falsely suggesting a connection between the games. The complaint also notes that the music used to promote "Light of Motiram" is "highly similar" to that of 'Horizon.'

Sony further asserts that Tencent had previously approached them in March 2024 at a San Francisco gaming conference to propose a collaboration on a new 'Horizon' game. After Sony rejected the pitch and considered the matter closed, Tencent allegedly continued developing "Light of Motiram" in secret, eventually announcing the project later that year. Court filings suggest Tencent may have begun work on the game as early as 2023. When Sony attempted to informally resolve the dispute, Tencent reportedly again sought to license the 'Horizon' intellectual property, which Sony firmly declined, demanding that "Light of Motiram" be withdrawn. Tencent, however, rejected these demands and signalled plans to proceed with the game's development.

The lawsuit also leverages widespread public and media recognition of the similarities. It cites instances where game journalists dubbed Tencent's game "Horizon Zero Originality" and numerous community comments on platforms like Steam and Reddit describing it as "shameless," with one user even pointing out the alleged copying of cover art. Sony argues that Tencent's use of a red-haired female protagonist, similar to 'Horizon's' Aloy, in its marketing strategy was a deliberate attempt to confuse gamers into thinking "Light of Motiram" was the next instalment in the 'Horizon' series.

Tencent's subsidiary, Polaris Quest, is developing "Light of Motiram," which is described as an open-world survival title featuring "mechanimals" (tameable mechanical animals) in a post-apocalyptic wilderness—elements strongly reminiscent of the 'Horizon' series. The game is currently available to wishlist on Steam but has no confirmed release date. Neither Sony nor Tencent have publicly commented on the lawsuit as of this report.