Horizon Franchise Faces ‘Slavish Clone’ in Tencent’s Light of Motiram.
Sony has filed a lawsuit in the United States against Chinese gaming giant Tencent, alleging copyright infringement over its upcoming open-world survival title Light of Motiram. Sony claims the game is a “slavish clone” of its popular Horizon franchise, developed by Guerrilla Games, and has demanded monetary damages along with an injunction to block Tencent from releasing the game.
According to court filings, Light of Motiram closely mimics the storyline, gameplay, and artistic design of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The title, announced by Tencent in November 2024, immediately drew attention and criticism for its striking similarities, including its post-apocalyptic wilderness setting, survival mechanics, crafting systems, and the use of mechanical beasts—dubbed “Mechanimals”—which strongly resemble Horizon’s iconic robotic creatures.
Sony also revealed in its lawsuit that Tencent had approached the company in 2024, proposing to collaborate on a new Horizon project. Sony declined, and Tencent went ahead to develop Light of Motiram through its studio Polaris Quest. The game is currently available for wishlist on Steam but has no confirmed release date.
In addition to protecting its intellectual property, Sony disclosed franchise sales for the first time, confirming that the Horizon series—spanning its two mainline titles, DLC, a VR experience, the remaster, and Lego Horizon Adventures—has collectively sold over 38 million copies worldwide.
Sony’s lawsuit underscores its effort to protect its blockbuster IP as the gaming industry faces increasing disputes over originality, particularly in the competitive open-world genre.
