Currently, Tencent finds itself embroiled in a legal dispute with Sony regarding one of its games that bears a striking resemblance to the Horizon franchise. Interestingly enough, it was previously revealed that Tencent had pitched an official installment for the Horizon series back in 2024. The game they ultimately released, titled Light of Motiram, is a futuristic survival adventure featuring robotic creatures called “Mechanimals.” These creatures can be domesticated and ridden by a red-haired, bow-wielding female protagonist – elements that have drawn comparisons to Sony’s Horizon franchise. Sony itself has not missed these similarities, leading to the ongoing legal issues between the two companies.
This week, Sony announced it intends to sue Tencent for allegedly copying its copyrighted work, “Light of Motiram,” claiming it is a near-identical version of the “Horizon” series. Sony is demanding up to $150,000 in damages per infringement, citing similarities between the robots in “Light of Motiram” and those in “Horizon,” as well as a striking resemblance between the main character in “Light of Motiram” and Aloy from “Horizon.” If successful, the release of “Light of Motiram” may be halted, and Tencent could be forced to destroy all promotional materials related to it.
The similarities between “Light of Motiram” and “Horizon” might extend beyond just resembling its plot, visuals, and characters. According to GameSpot, legal papers from Sony suggest that Tencent and their internal studio Aurora had approached Sony in March 2024 to propose a mobile GaaS (Games as a Service) spin-off of “Horizon.” This proposed game would have transported Aloy to the remnants of Asia, under the call of the enigmatic “Orient.
Tencent Pitched Horizon Mobile Game to Sony in 2024
The proposed concept art for this pitch showcases the main character from Horizon, Aloy, standing amidst the ruins of the Great Wall of China, and other elements hinted at in the potential game include novel tribes influenced by ethnic minorities, an Eastern-styled aesthetic, and unique creatures called “mechanimals,” which are inspired by Eastern mythology, such as a machine mimicking a legendary Chinese dragon. During their presentation, Tencent expressed their intent to leverage the Horizon franchise’s popularity in China, and the Aurora development team demonstrated their dedication to the project by showing Sony screenshots of them playing the Horizon games.
In April 2024, Tencent’s proposal for a game called “Horizon” was turned down by Sony. This rejection occurred just prior to the announcement of “Light of Motiram.” In their recent lawsuit, Sony alleges that “Light of Motiram” does not incorporate any Eastern elements proposed in the “Horizon” pitch. Instead, they claim that it imitates the visual style of existing “Horizon” games. According to Sony’s sales reports, the “Horizon” series has sold over 32 million units worldwide since the launch of “Horizon Zero Dawn” in 2017.
Sony didn’t go with Tencent’s idea for a game called “Horizon” in April 2024, and instead announced “Light of Motiram.” Now, Sony is suing because it thinks “Light of Motiram” looks like their own “Horizon” games and doesn’t have any Eastern elements proposed by Tencent. The “Horizon” series has sold over 32 million units since its first game was released in 2017.
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2025-07-29 19:14