In a 10-day span following Sony's lawsuit against Tencent for supposedly producing a "slave-like" copy of Horizon Zero Dawn, the game's page on Steam has been cleaned of references to robotic mastodons and likenesses of the protagonist, Aloy.
In a striking turn of events, Sony Corporation has taken legal action against Tencent's upcoming game, Light of Motiram. The tech giant claims that the game is a "slavish clone" of its popular Horizon series, specifically Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West [1][2].
The lawsuit, filed in July 2025 in a California federal court, alleges that Tencent has copied nearly every aspect of the Horizon series - from setting and narrative to characters and robotic creature designs - without a license [1][2]. According to Sony, Tencent began developing Light of Motiram in 2023 and even approached Sony in 2024 to pitch a licensed Horizon game, which was rejected [1][3].
Following the lawsuit becoming public in early August 2025, Tencent made changes to Light of Motiram's Steam page. The page originally featured screenshots of robot mastodons, descriptions of colossal machines, and an anime-style Aloy-like character, reminiscent of the Horizon series. However, after the lawsuit, Tencent removed many promotional assets and altered key art and descriptions to appear less similar to Horizon [3][4][5].
The game's current Steam page retains a futuristic tribal aesthetic but appears to be more of a game existing in a similar genre aesthetic rather than a direct clone of the Horizon series. For instance, the original key art showcased a red-haired female protagonist resembling Aloy, but this was replaced by a less contentious image of a robotic penguin [3][4][5]. The game description and screenshots were also adjusted to emphasise survival and environment themes without direct mentions or imagery of "mechanicals" resembling Horizon’s machines [5].
Sony's claims rest on various intellectual property rights typically covering games, including copyright on the story, game graphics, characters, designs of machines, and trademarks on distinctive names and visuals [2]. The core of the dispute is whether Light of Motiram unlawfully copied these protected elements or merely drew inspiration from the genre.
This case highlights the fine line between inspiration and infringement in video game aesthetics and intellectual property. Sony’s strong legal action aims to protect its award-winning Horizon franchise from what it views as blatant copying by Tencent’s Light of Motiram [1][2][3][4][5].
It's important to note that Light of Motiram is developed by Tencent subsidiary Polaris Quest. Early controversy over Light of Motiram echoes that of Genshin Impact, which showed allusions to Breath of the Wild in marketing materials. However, unlike Genshin Impact, which was never sued by the publisher of its inspiration, Light of Motiram faces a legal battle.
Despite the controversies, Light of Motiram may still establish its own identity, distinct from the Horizon series. It is a co-op survival game, which is fundamentally different from the single-player, open-world gameplay of the Horizon series.
The outcome of Sony's lawsuit against Light of Motiram remains uncertain. An archived version of the Steam page can be found, providing a glimpse of the game's early marketing materials, which featured elements reminiscent of the Horizon series.
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[1] Sony Files Lawsuit Against Tencent's Light of Motiram [2] Sony Claims Tencent's Light of Motiram is a Slavish Clone of Horizon [3] Tencent Alters Light of Motiram's Steam Page Amid Lawsuit [4] Red-Haired Protagonist Replaced in Light of Motiram's Steam Art [5] Light of Motiram Removes Horizon-Like Elements from Steam Page
- In the realm of technology, Sony Corporation's legal action against Tencent's game, Light of Motiram, has sparked news discussions about intellectual property rights in the gaming industry.
- Notably, Sony argues that Light of Motiram is a "slavish clone" of its Horizon series, citing cases of copied setting, narrative, characters, and robotic creature designs.
- As a result of the lawsuit, gadget enthusiasts and gamers eagerly following the console market may anticipate updates on this high-profile case involving Sony's PlayStation and Tencent's Nintendo-rivaling console.
- Many tech and gaming deals enthusiasts looking to buy the latest gadgets and games could find themselves tracking the outcome of this legal battle as it may redefine industry standards for inspiration and infringement in action games.
- Consequently, as the future of Light of Motiram unfolds, concerned parties can stay informed by subscribing to our Newsletter for weekly updates on the gaming world, including this developing story.
