The tech giant Tencent is formally challenging a lawsuit brought forth by Sony, which claims that Tencent’s upcoming title, Light of Motiram, bears an excessive resemblance to Sony’s acclaimed Horizon game series. Sony initiated legal proceedings after players highlighted striking visual similarities between promotional material for Light of Motiram and the Horizon franchise. Tencent, in its defense, argues that Sony’s lawsuit lacks substance and should therefore be dismissed.
According to recent reports, Tencent’s motion to dismiss accuses Sony of attempting to “cordon off a widely explored domain within popular culture and declare it Sony`s exclusive territory.” Tencent asserts that Sony’s claim regarding the unprecedented nature of Horizon Zero Dawn`s world is contradicted by its own developers. This, Tencent argues, represents an “unjustified monopoly on common genre conventions.”
In support of its stance, Tencent points to an archival documentary where Jan-Bart Van Beek, the art director for Horizon Zero Dawn, acknowledged the game’s similarities to an earlier game, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Tencent further alleges that Sony had originally put the Horizon project on hold due to these perceived resemblances before eventually moving forward with its production.
Sony`s initial complaint detailed a meeting in March 2024 between the two companies concerning a potential mobile spin-off game based on the Horizon intellectual property, which Sony ultimately declined. While Tencent confirms that this meeting took place, its motion to dismiss specifies that “no Tencent Holdings executives or employees were at this meeting.” Furthermore, it contends that “Sony has failed to establish a prima facie case that any actions during this meeting caused harm to Sony.”
The motion also requests the removal of Tencent Holdings, Tencent America, and Proxima Beta U.S. from the lawsuit, on the grounds that Sony “cannot specifically substantiate the claims it brings against [them].” It clarifies that Light of Motiram is currently being developed by Polaris Quest / Aurora Studios and Proxima Beta PTE Ltd., both of which are Tencent-affiliated entities based in Singapore.
Tencent additionally emphasizes that since Light of Motiram has not yet been released, “the alleged infringements have not occurred and may in fact never occur,” suggesting the claims are premature.
Shortly after Sony initiated the lawsuit, Tencent promptly altered several elements on Light of Motiram’s Steam page, notably removing the imagery that had initially drawn comparisons to the Horizon series. The anticipated release year for Light of Motiram is 2027.