Sony Interactive Entertainmentis officially taking Tencent to court overLight of Motiram, the upcoming MMO many have called a blatant clone ofHorizon Zero Dawn.
Sony Files Copyright Lawsuit Over Horizon IP
Tencent first showed it off in late 2024, and it raised more than a few eyebrows—for one obvious reason: it looked like a straight-up ripoff ofPlayStation’s Horizonseries.
From the mechanical creatures to character design (with what looks like a clear Aloy stand-in), the project tried to hide behind the “it’s just a survival MMO” excuse.
Sony didn’t buy it. And after months of quietly gathering evidence, they’ve officially filed a lawsuit.According toReuters, Sony filed the lawsuit on July 25 in a California court, demanding a jury trial and citing copyright and trademark infringement.
In the filing, Sony states that“the imitation of Horizon is so blatant that the public sees it as shameless and outrageous.”
But the backstory goes even deeper. According to Sony,Light of Motiramhas more direct ties toHorizonthan anyone realized.
Tencent reportedly approached Sony years ago with a proposal for a project based onHorizon Forbidden Westand the wider franchise. Sony declined. Rather than shelving the idea, Tencent allegedly went ahead and reworked it independently—using Horizon as the “template”for what would become Motiram.
Sony Wants the Game Blocked and All Copies Destroyed
The lawsuit demands thatLight of Motiramnever sees release. Sony is also seeking up to$150,000 in damages for every individual asset lifted from Horizon.
If the court rules in Sony’s favor, Tencent will be forced to hand over all promotional and production materials for destruction.
Sony’s filing even accuses Tencent of deliberately misleading Horizon fans into believing thatLight of Motiramis an official sequel or spin-off.
For now, Tencent has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
Meanwhile,Motiramis still listed on Steam with no release date, but it remains available to wishlist.
Sony claims Tencent’s actions are causing “irreparable harm” to their IP. The lawsuit also namesPolaris Quest, the Tencent subsidiary in charge of developingLight of Motiram.
