Sony has formally filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Chinese tech giant Tencent, alleging its upcoming game Light of Motiram is a rip‑off of the ‘Horizon’ franchise.
According to Reuters, Sony alleges that Light of Motiram copies significant artistic, narrative, and gameplay features from Horizon: Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West, to the point of confusing consumers.
The complaint even points to recent media coverage that labeled the game “Horizon Zero Originality,” reflecting widespread perception of imitation. Sony further claims that Tencent previously approached it in 2024 with a proposal to license the Horizon intellectual property to develop a mobile title using the brand.
Sony says it declined that approach, yet Light of Motiram was revealed later by Tencent and its Polaris Quest studio, featuring a red-haired protagonist, robotic wildlife, tribal and futuristic aesthetics reminiscent of Horizon, and other marked similarities.
In its suit Sony is seeking an injunction to permanently block Tencent from releasing Light of Motiram unless the game is significantly altered. The company also requests monetary damages, citing statutory penalties of up to $150,000 for each separate Horizon work infringed. Further, the complaint demands delivery and destruction of marketing materials and game assets that Sony considers violative of its IP rights.
The Horizon series first launched in 2017 with Horizon: Zero Dawn on PlayStation 4, introducing players to Aloy, a red-headed hunter exploring a post‑apocalyptic world overrun with mechanical beasts and tribal societies. Its sequel, Horizon: Forbidden West, expanded the franchise further on PS4 and PS5 in 2022.
From the trailer and revealed footage of Light of Motiram, many fans and journalists quickly noted uncanny similarities to Horizon. Scenes feature robot creatures, sweeping natural environments, survival crafting, and a female hero in leather attire wielding a bow.
As of now neither Tencent nor Sony spokespersons have commented publicly beyond the court documents. Light of Motiram remains listed on Steam and Epic Games Store with wishlisting enabled but has not yet been released.
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