The lawsuit between Sony and Tencent over similarities between Light of Motiram and the Horizon series has already had a visible impact. The open-world survival game, developed by Tencent subsidiary Polaris Quest, recently stripped out imagery and descriptions that Sony flagged as infringing—while also announcing a new release window.
Sony’s Legal Action
On July 25, Sony filed a lawsuit in a California federal court against Tencent and Polaris Quest, alleging that Light of Motiram was a “slavish clone” of its Horizon franchise. According to Sony, gameplay mechanics, creature designs, and even the game’s red-haired, bow-wielding protagonist closely mirrored Horizon’s heroine, Aloy.
Court filings revealed that Tencent had previously approached Sony in 2024 to license the Horizon IP for a mobile spin-off, but the proposal was rejected. Sony now argues that Tencent moved ahead with a similar concept anyway.
Changes to the Game
Following the lawsuit, significant alterations appeared on the game’s official Steam page:
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Revised Description – References to “mechanimals” and “colossal machines” were removed, replaced with broader terms like “unforgiving land” and “formidable bosses.”
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Artwork Overhaul – The Aloy-like protagonist was replaced in promotional art with robotic penguin and dog mascots.
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Updated Screenshots – Horizon-style visuals were swapped out for generic survival imagery.
TheGamePost reported that these changes appeared less than two weeks after the lawsuit became public.
Release Date Delay
Alongside these updates, Tencent announced that Light of Motiram will now release in Q4 2027, pushing it back by nearly two years from its earlier projected launch.
Industry Trend of IP Protection
This case is part of a growing trend of major publishers protecting their intellectual property. Nintendo, for example, is engaged in an ongoing lawsuit with Pocketpair over Palworld, prompting changes to mechanics that resembled Pokémon’s Poké Ball system.
The ongoing disputes show that visual and gameplay similarities can trigger swift legal and creative responses in the gaming industry.
While Tencent’s changes to Light of Motiram may reduce the visual overlap with Horizon, the legal battle with Sony is far from over. As gaming IP protection becomes increasingly aggressive, developers may face mounting pressure to ensure their projects are both original and legally bulletproof.