PlayStation is renowned for producing some of the most acclaimed video game series, including God of War, Ratchet and Clank, Uncharted, The Last of Us, and the more contemporary Horizon series. These exclusive games help boost console sales and maintain enthusiasm for the PlayStation brand, making Sony Interactive Entertainment very protective of its numerous successful franchises. This is most evident in Sony’s recent legal action against Tencent Games and Polaris Quest over their game Light of Motiram, which they claim copies Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series. It is possible that Sony may not only sue Tencent for stealing from Horizon but also pursue legal action against other companies accused of copying PlayStation’s exclusive titles.
Horizon Vs. Light of Motiram
Initially, the Horizon series kicked off in 2017 with Horizon Zero Dawn, a game that quickly became popular, selling approximately 2.6 million copies within just two weeks and earning rave reviews from critics. The praise was primarily directed towards Aloy’s character and the captivating world design of Horizon, filled with stunning mechanical creatures resembling animals. This early success prompted Sony and Guerrilla Games to immediately begin work on a sequel and spin-offs, which also enjoyed significant financial and critical success.
By Spring 2023, “Horizon Zero Dawn,” “Horizon Forbidden West,” and the upcoming “Horizon Call of the Mountain” had collectively sold more than 32.7 million copies globally across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC platforms. This impressive sales record has prompted Guerrilla Games to expand the “Horizon” series even further, with the release of “Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered,” “LEGO Horizon Adventures,” and a forthcoming multiplayer “Horizon” title. In its eight years, “Horizon” has grown into a worldwide sensation, branching out from video games into board games, comics, and an upcoming film adaptation of “Zero Dawn,” produced by Columbia Pictures. The popularity of “Horizon” has also sparked other companies to capitalize on its appeal, as seen in the announcement of Tencent’s “Light of Motiram” towards the end of 2024.
In a world ravaged by gigantic machines after an apocalypse, the game titled “Light of Motiram” offers a third-person, open-world experience where players can command and control creature-like machines known as Mechanimals. Players have the option to engage in this game individually or collaboratively (co-op), and they may also compete against each other in PvP game modes. Interestingly, “LEGO Horizon Adventures” is the only multiplayer-enabled version of “Horizon” that has been released up to now.
Sony’s Lawsuit Against Tencent’s Light of Motiram
It appears that if the story behind “Light of Motiram” seems reminiscent of “Horizon“, Sony executives weren’t far off, as they labeled “Light of Motiram ” a “faithful imitation” of “Horizon“. In fact, Sony filed a lawsuit against Tencent in a federal court in California for allegedly copying the intellectual property (IP) of “Horizon“. According to Sony, the gameplay, themes, and artistic aspects of “Motiram” mirror those of “Horizon“, which is quite noticeable in its marketing, character design, machine design, music, and more. Tencent reportedly reached out to Sony in early 2024 with a proposal to collaborate on a new “Horizon” game, but Sony declined the offer. Sony is demanding financial compensation and an injunction preventing Tencet from infringing upon their intellectual property rights.
Sony’s Potential Future Lawsuits
The legal battle between Sony and Tencent is still unfolding, with many believing that Sony will emerge victorious due to the striking similarities between their games Horizon and Light of Motiram. Not only do these games share a common theme, but it seems that some of Motiram’s promotional artwork directly copies Horizon Zero Dawn’s promotional and concept art, both featuring a tribal woman gazing upon a landscape populated by towering mechanical beasts. The outcome of this lawsuit is yet to be determined, and it remains unclear whether Tencent will have to remove Light of Motiram from various storefronts. If Sony prevails in court, they may consider taking legal action against other game developers and companies accused of infringing on their intellectual property.
In addition to the game “Light of Motiram” showing strong similarities to “Horizon” in terms of world design, it’s not uncommon for other game developers and companies to try to capitalize on popular PlayStation games. For instance, VG Games launched the 2023 survival game “The Last Hope: Dead Zone Survival” for the Nintendo Switch, which many players claimed bore striking resemblances to Sony’s “The Last of Us” series. Following the announcement of “The Last Hope”, it was pulled from the market after Sony filed copyright claims. Similarly, Sony might take issue with Zego Studio for mimicking “Marvel’s Spider-Man” animations and gameplay in their mobile game “Spider Fighting: Hero Game”. Additionally, Sony could potentially sue Zacharias for duplicating the character design and gameplay of 2018’s “God of War” in their mobile game “The Slayer Rpg APK”.
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2025-07-30 01:39