Tencent has paused all testing and marketing of Light of Motiram as Sony’s copyright lawsuit over alleged similarities to the Horizon franchise heads to trial in January 2026. The dispute highlights one of the most high-profile intellectual property battles in modern gaming.
📌 The Current Situation
- Tencent has agreed to halt public testing and promotional campaigns for its upcoming open-world survival game Light of Motiram.
- Sony filed a lawsuit in July 2025, accusing Tencent of producing a “slavish clone” of Guerrilla Games’ Horizon series.
- The case is scheduled for January 2026 in the Northern District of California, where Sony is seeking a jury trial for copyright and trademark infringement.
- Tencent has promised not to accelerate the game’s release window (currently slated for Q4 2027) until the case is resolved.
⚔️ The Backstory
- Origins of the Dispute:
When Light of Motiram was revealed by Tencent’s Polaris Quest studio in late 2024, fans and critics immediately noticed striking similarities to Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.- Mechanized animal-like creatures.
- A female protagonist resembling Aloy.
- Post-apocalyptic open-world survival mechanics.
- Sony’s Legal Position:
Sony argues that Tencent deliberately designed Light of Motiram to confuse players into thinking it was the next Horizon title, causing “irreparable harm” to the franchise’s reputation and market share.
The lawsuit seeks to block the game’s release entirely. - Tencent’s Defense:
Tencent counters that Sony is attempting to claim an “impermissible monopoly on genre conventions”, arguing that open-world survival games with mechanical creatures are not unique to Horizon.
Tencent has also quietly updated Light of Motiram’s promotional materials to reduce visual overlap with Horizon’s aesthetic.
🎮 Why This Matters
- For Sony: Protecting Horizon’s identity is critical. The franchise is one of PlayStation’s flagship IPs, with Forbidden West and the upcoming Horizon Call of the Mountain expanding its reach.
- For Tencent: Light of Motiram was positioned as a major global release. A prolonged legal battle could delay development, damage marketing momentum, and weaken investor confidence.
- For the Industry: This case could set a precedent for how far companies can go in borrowing genre conventions before crossing into copyright infringement.
🔮 What’s Next
- The January 2026 trial will determine whether Light of Motiram can proceed toward release or face permanent injunction.
- If Sony wins, Tencent may be forced to redesign core elements of the game—or abandon it entirely.
- If Tencent prevails, the ruling could embolden developers to push closer to the boundaries of existing IPs without fear of litigation.
This lawsuit is more than a battle over one game—it’s a test case for creative ownership in the age of blockbuster franchises. Whether Horizon’s unique blend of tribal futurism and robotic wildlife is legally protectable will shape how studios approach genre innovation for years to come.
