Tag: Light of Motiram

Key Takeaways

1. Tencent filed to support the dismissal of Sony’s lawsuit, claiming the allegations are based on unproven future conduct.
2. Tencent argues that Sony is trying to monopolize genre conventions and dismissed Sony’s claims as unfounded.
3. Tencent asserts that the lawsuit targets the wrong parties and that many alleged infringements have not occurred yet.
4. Tencent challenges Sony’s trademark claim regarding Aloy, stating that fame alone does not establish a trademark.
5. Tencent compares Aloy’s trademark claim to Mickey Mouse, arguing that inconsistent portrayals weaken Sony’s case for trademark protection.

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Tencent has recently made another move in its legal conflict with Sony, filing on October 29 to support a request to dismiss the lawsuit that claims Tencent infringed on the Horizon franchise with its new game, Light of Motiram.

Tencent’s Argument

In a statement to U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, Tencent argued that Sony’s allegations are based on “future conduct that has not and may never occur,” making the case “unripe for adjudication.” Tencent had previously maintained that Sony is attempting to gain an “impermissible monopoly on genre conventions,” using examples like Far Cry Primal and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West to bolster their claim. Sony, however, dismissed Tencent’s defense as “nonsense,” alleging that Tencent is engaging in a “shell game” through its subsidiaries.

Strengthening Its Defense

Tencent has reinforced its position by asserting that “no Tencent Holdings employees or executives attended the March 2024 San Francisco pitch meeting.” They further explained that “the lawsuit was brought against the wrong parties, long before many of the purported acts of infringement have even occurred…”

In addressing Sony’s trademark claim concerning Aloy’s appearance, Tencent highlighted that fame alone does not establish a trademark. They noted that to be recognized as a trademark, a mark must identify a specific product or service. Although it’s true that gamers know Aloy as a character from the Horizon game, Sony has not successfully proven that her appearance functions as a trademark outside of the game context.

Comparison with Mickey Mouse

To bolster its argument, Tencent used Disney’s Mickey Mouse as an example, stating that recognizing Mickey as a character in a movie does not mean he can change his look and still be considered a trademark. They pointed out that Disney has registered various trademarks for different appearances of Mickey Mouse over time. In contrast, Sony’s inconsistent descriptions and varying portrayals of Aloy’s appearance do not provide a solid foundation for their claims. Characters can only be trademarks when they are used consistently and identifiably as a source identifier beyond just being a game character.

The hearing for Sony’s injunction has been postponed from late 2025 to January 15, 2026, due to prior obligations of Sony’s legal team and duties of the District Judge. In the meantime, the Steam page for Light of Motiram showcases adjusted artwork, much of which was altered following the initiation of the lawsuit.

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Key Takeaways

1. Sony has filed a copyright lawsuit against Tencent, alleging that Tencent’s game Light of Motiram closely resembles its Horizon series, claiming it is a “slavish clone.”

2. Tencent has labeled Sony’s allegations as “startling” and an attempt to monopolize a shared realm of creativity, arguing that everyone should have access to common ideas in popular culture.

3. Sony’s lawsuit seeks to block the release of Light of Motiram, emphasizing similarities in promotional materials between the two games, particularly the depiction of a red-haired female character.

4. Tencent argues that Sony’s case is speculative and premature, as Light of Motiram is not scheduled for release until late 2027, and claims the parties named in the lawsuit are not directly involved in the game’s development.

5. Tencent believes Sony’s lawsuit aims to establish a monopoly over genre conventions, pointing out that many games share similar themes and tropes, thereby contesting Sony’s position as a gatekeeper of creativity.

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In light of Sony’s bold copyright lawsuit, which argues that Tencent’s Light of Motiram closely resembles the Horizon series, Tencent has retaliated by labeling Sony’s allegations as “startling” and an overstep meant to seize a shared realm of creativity.

Tencent’s Strong Rebuttal

In recent court documents shared by The Game Post, Tencent accused Sony of making “an improper attempt to fence off a well-trodden corner of a popular culture and declare it Sony’s exclusive domain.” This remark underscores Tencent’s belief that Sony is trying to control an idea that should belong to everyone.

This response from Tencent follows Sony Interactive Entertainment’s legal action initiated in July 2025 in a California federal court. In this lawsuit, Sony named several Tencent entities along with ten unnamed defendants in connection with the unreleased open-world survival game Light of Mortiram, which is planned for a Q4 2027 release on PC via Steam.

Allegations of Copying

Sony’s lawsuit claims that Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of the Horizon series, alleging copyright and trademark violations that could mislead gamers into thinking the new title is part of the same post-apocalyptic world filled with robots and tribal warriors. The suit demands a jury trial, aiming to completely block the release of Light of Motiram, arguing that its promotional materials, featuring a red-haired female character fighting machine creatures in a lush wilderness, closely resemble Aloy, the main character from the Horizon series.

Additionally, Sony claims that Tencent approached them in early 2024 to discuss a potential collaboration on a new Horizon project, which Sony declined. Tencent then supposedly went ahead and developed a game that mirrors the same concept.

Tencent’s Perspective

The initial complaint stated:

“Plaintiff Sony has sued a grab-bag of Tencent companies–and ten unnamed defendants–about the unreleased video game Light of Motiram, alleging that the game copies elements from Sony’s game Horizon Zero Dawn and its spinoffs.”

Tencent contends that Sony’s case is speculative and premature, considering Light of Motiram’s scheduled release in late 2027. They argue that the entities named in the lawsuit, including Tencent Holdings Limited and Two Palo Alto LLCs, aren’t directly involved in the development or distribution of Light of Motiram. The trademark registration for Light of Motiram held by the company is simply administrative and does not suggest any direct participation.

Tencent’s legal team further remarked, “At bottom, Sony’s effort is not aimed at fighting off piracy, plagiarism, or any genuine threat to intellectual property.” To strengthen its argument, Tencent’s lawyers pointed out several comparable games:

“By suing over an unreleased project that merely employs the same time-honored tropes embraced by scores of other games released both before and after Horizon– like, Enslaved, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, Far Cry: Primal, Far Cry: New Dawn, Outer Wilds, Biomutant, and many more– Sony seeks an impermissible monopoly over genre conventions.”

As this lawsuit unfolds, the clash between innovation and imitation continues, with Tencent asserting that Sony is acting more like a gatekeeper than a champion of creativity.

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Key Takeaways

1. Lawsuit Initiation: Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, claiming that their game Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of the Horizon series.

2. Allegations of Similarities: The lawsuit states that Light of Motiram shares gameplay mechanics, visual style, and storyline elements with Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.

3. Damages Sought: Sony is seeking up to $150,000 in damages for each instance of copyright infringement and wants a court order to prevent the game’s release.

4. Changes by Tencent: In response to the lawsuit and public criticism, Tencent has updated the game’s presentation, altering descriptions and artwork to reduce similarities to the Horizon franchise.

5. Release Date Uncertainty: The release timeframe for Light of Motiram has changed from Q4 2027 to “To Be Announced” following legal actions and public backlash.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment has initiated legal action against Tencent, claiming that there are significant similarities between Light of Motiram and Sony’s Horizon series. In light of this upcoming lawsuit, Tencent has quickly altered how the game is presented to the public.

Lawsuit Details

As reported by The Game Post, the lawsuit was submitted to the California Federal Court on July 25, 2025. Sony alleges that Tencent and the Polaris Quest studio’s Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The complaint states that the game shares the same gameplay mechanics, visual style, and storyline elements as the Horizon franchise.

Sony is seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each instance of copyright infringement, as well as a court order to stop the game from being released. Additionally, it was mentioned that Tencent had approached Sony during the 2024 Game Developers Conference to work together on a mobile game based on Horizon, which Sony turned down.

Tencent’s Response

Although Tencent has not publicly addressed the lawsuit, the company appears to be taking steps to reduce legal complications.

In November 2024, Tencent unveiled Light of Motiram, which quickly drew heavy criticism from the gaming community and media for its striking similarities to Sony’s franchise, including the red-haired main character, mechanical creatures, and a post-apocalyptic tribal setting. Fans on social media humorously referred to it as “Horizon Zero Originality,” with others remarking it resembled a “copy-paste job.”

Changes to the Game

Following the public outcry and Sony’s legal actions, Tencent updated the game’s Steam Page on August 7, 2025. The initial description closely mirrored themes from Horizon. Phrases like “colossal machines” and “mechanimals” have been substituted with a more generic survival-themed description:

“Make smart use of everything around you to stay alive and face off against formidable bosses. Every step is fraught with danger and requires courage. Only by overcoming these challenges of survival can you carve out a place for yourself in this unforgiving land.”

Moreover, the artwork has also been changed. Earlier images featuring the red-haired protagonist, reminiscent of Horizon’s Aloy, have been replaced with a penguin-like creature and a dog. Screenshots depicting mechanical beasts and tribal settings have been swapped out for more generic open-world visuals.

SteamDB records indicate that several videos from the Steam Store Page have been removed, along with a trailer on YouTube. The game had previously announced a release timeframe of Q4 2027, but this has now been changed to “To Be Announced.”

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