When Tencent revealed Light of Motiram in November 2024, the reaction was instant. The first look at its concept art and gameplay showed a lush open world filled with towering mechanical beasts, tribal outfits, and sprawling post-apocalyptic landscapes. For many, it felt less like a fresh IP and more like a direct echo of Sony’s Horizon series. Social media lit up with side-by-side screenshots, and nicknames like “Horizon Zero Originality” and “Horizon Forbidden Creativity” started trending.
While Tencent described the project as an open-world survival crafting game, its presentation told a different story. The visuals, marketing style, and even character silhouettes mirrored the established look of Horizon. The reveal sparked early debate, with players questioning whether the game drew inspiration from or directly imitated Sony’s work.
Sony Files Lawsuit Against Tencent
That debate turned into legal action on July 28, 2025, when Reuters reported Sony had filed a lawsuit against Tencent in California federal court. The filing accused Tencent of copyright and trademark infringement, calling Light of Motiram a “slavish clone” of Horizon Zero Dawn.
Sony claimed the title copied distinct Horizon elements, from creature design and environmental tone to the promotional language used in trailers. The suit also revealed that Tencent had previously approached Sony about collaborating on a Horizon project. After Sony declined, Tencent announced Light of Motiram—a move Sony’s lawyers now frame as a deliberate attempt to replicate the franchise without permission.
Gameplay Versus Visual Similarities
From a mechanical standpoint, Light of Motiram is not a one-to-one gameplay copy of Horizon. Its systems lean toward survival crafting, base building, and cooperative hunts of machine-like creatures. Comparisons to Monster Hunter, Ark: Survival Evolved, and Palworld are more accurate in terms of moment-to-moment play.
However, the visuals are where Sony’s argument gains traction. The mechanical animals share similar shapes, plating styles, and glowing component designs. The sweeping plains, dense forests, and cinematic vistas look like they could be pulled straight from Horizon’s photo mode. Even the orchestral-heavy trailer soundtrack mirrors the pacing and instrumentation of Horizon’s marketing.
In copyright disputes, courts rarely protect mechanics alone, but they may rule that a combination of visual identity, art direction, and marketing tone crosses into infringement if the similarities are too close.
Industry and Community Reactions
Reactions from the gaming industry have been split. Developers and artists often agree that inspiration is a part of game creation, but many draw a line when a title’s visual presentation is nearly indistinguishable from an existing brand.
Supporters of Sony’s case argue that casual players could easily mistake Light of Motiram for a Horizon spin-off, especially given its character designs and promotional style. Others point out examples like Lies of P, which takes heavy gameplay cues from FromSoftware’s Souls titles yet builds an unmistakably unique identity through setting, tone, and art design.
In that context, critics say Tencent had every opportunity to differentiate Light of Motiram visually while still retaining survival crafting mechanics—but didn’t.
Tencent’s Response and Changes to Marketing
Tencent’s public comments have been limited, but its actions speak volumes. In early August 2025, changes began appearing on the game’s official pages. The Steam store listing removed key phrases and artwork that most resembled Horizon, swapped the red-haired protagonist for non-human companions in certain promotional images, and adjusted screenshots to focus on generic survival elements.
Tencent Quietly Changes Light of Motiram's Steam Page Assets Following Horizon Sony Lawsuit
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The game’s release window shifted from late 2025 to Q4 2027, and several trailers were pulled. While Tencent has not admitted wrongdoing, these adjustments suggest a strategy to reduce legal exposure before the case progresses.
What This Could Mean for Future Games
This lawsuit could set a significant precedent for visual identity in games. While gameplay borrowing has always been common—and often celebrated—the legal boundaries for aesthetic imitation remain less defined. If Sony succeeds, publishers may become far more cautious when designing titles that take visual cues from existing franchises.
For Tencent, the challenge now is whether it can steer Light of Motiram toward an identity that stands apart while still delivering on its survival crafting promise. For Sony, the outcome will determine how strongly its flagship brands can be protected in a global industry where inspiration and imitation often blur.
