Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit against Tencent Holdings in California federal court, accusing the Chinese tech conglomerate of developing a blatant imitation of its popular Horizon video game franchise.
The lawsuit centers on Tencent’s game Light of Motiram, which Sony says is a near-identical replica of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, two of the company’s most successful titles. According to Sony’s complaint, the new game copies key elements, including its open-world design, mechanical animal enemies, tribal civilization aesthetic, and a female protagonist with striking visual similarities to Aloy, the face of the Horizon series.
LIGHT OF MOTIRAM
LIGHT OF MOTIRAM
Sony filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeking both injunctive relief and financial damages. The company claims Light of Motiram was designed and marketed in a way that intentionally mimics the look and feel of the Horizon games, creating a risk of consumer confusion and damaging the brand’s reputation.
Legal representatives from the firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe are arguing on Sony’s behalf. The complaint demands statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, as well as a court order to prevent Tencent from releasing, distributing, or marketing the allegedly infringing title.
Sony’s legal filing describes how Tencent initially reached out in March 2024 with a request to license assets or collaborate on a new game set in the Horizon universe. Sony declined. Despite the rejection, Tencent allegedly proceeded with development through two of its subsidiaries, Aurora Studios and Polaris Quest, releasing Light of Motiram later that year.
Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition
Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition
The lawsuit points to numerous examples of copied content. According to Sony, the game uses robotic enemies that look nearly identical to machines from the Horizon games, features similarly stylized tribal outfits and character armor, and borrows visual elements from the games’ environments, including lush overgrowth and ruins of a fallen civilization. It also states that the musical score of Light of Motiram was created by a composer who had previously contributed to Horizon Forbidden West.
Sony also included examples of media coverage and public commentary in its complaint, citing headlines like “Horizon Zero Originality” and player posts on social media platforms calling Light of Motiram a knockoff. These reactions, Sony argues, reinforce the likelihood of market confusion and strengthen the claim of willful infringement.
Tencent has not issued a public response to the lawsuit. The company is the largest gaming firm in the world by revenue and owns stakes in several major developers, including Riot Games and Epic Games. This case is one of the most direct legal confrontations Tencent has faced over intellectual property in the U.S. market.
Legal analysts say the outcome of this case could have wider implications for how courts handle visual and thematic similarities between video games, particularly when companies operate across international boundaries.
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