The legal saga between Sony and Tencent over Light of Motiram has reached an abrupt conclusion. Court documents filed December 17, 2025, reveal both companies reached a confidential settlement, dismissing the high-profile copyright lawsuit with prejudice and effectively killing the controversial game that Sony called a “slavish clone” of its Horizon franchise. Light of Motiram has been scrubbed from Steam and Epic Games Store, likely never to return, ending what could have been one of gaming’s most brazen intellectual property theft cases before it ever reached trial.
The Clone That Started It All
Light of Motiram burst into gaming consciousness in November 2024 when Tencent unveiled a reveal trailer showcasing visuals that looked suspiciously like Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The game featured a post-apocalyptic world overrun by giant mechanical dinosaurs roaming vibrant landscapes of tropical forests, deserts, and snowy mountains. Sound familiar? Gaming journalists and Horizon fans immediately noticed the similarities, with critics labeling it “Horizon Zero Originality,” a “major Horizon rip off,” and an “obvious knock off” with a main character that “resembles Aloy to a tee.”
Sony filed its lawsuit in California federal court on July 25, 2025, accusing Tencent of copyright and trademark infringement. The 48-page complaint detailed numerous similarities between Light of Motiram and the Horizon franchise, comparing marketing screenshots, game descriptions, character designs, and even narrative elements. Sony wasn’t subtle about its accusations, calling Tencent’s game a “blatant imitation” designed to confuse consumers looking for Horizon games.
The Licensing Pitch That Backfired
The backstory makes this situation even more brazen. According to Sony’s lawsuit, Tencent executives approached Sony at a gaming conference in San Francisco during March 2024, pitching a collaboration on a new Horizon game. Tencent proposed creating a Horizon title set in Asia with Eastern-inspired clothing, aesthetics, and backdrops. Sony declined the offer, believing that was the end of discussions.
Then Light of Motiram was announced in November 2024. Sony claimed the gameplay trailer featured none of the Eastern-inspired elements Tencent had pitched and instead “copied Horizon whole cloth.” When Sony engaged in informal discussions with Tencent earlier in 2025 to address the infringement, Tencent once again requested to license the Horizon IP. Sony refused, objected to Light of Motiram, and demanded its withdrawal. Tencent indicated its intent to proceed with the game regardless, forcing Sony’s hand to file the lawsuit.
What Sony Was Seeking
Sony’s demands were substantial. The company sought statutory damages of up to $150,000 per each separate work in the Horizon franchise infringed, plus costs and attorney fees. Sony also demanded Tencent hand over all products and marketing materials bearing prohibited marks so Sony could destroy them. Most importantly, Sony requested a preliminary injunction to prevent Tencent from using a red-haired character, other visuals, storyline elements, and even music allegedly similar to Horizon’s compositions.
Tencent’s Defense Strategy
Tencent didn’t roll over. In September 2025, the Chinese tech giant filed a motion to dismiss, arguing Sony was attempting to claim ownership of “well-trodden” tropes like red-headed heroines fighting robot dinosaurs. Tencent described Sony’s lawsuit as an overreach and highlighted other franchises with similar elements including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Far Cry Primal, Far Cry New Dawn, Outer Wilds, Biomutant, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
Most controversially, Tencent claimed Sony’s own developers had expressed concerns that Horizon Zero Dawn shared too many similarities with Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Tencent argued it was “startling” that Sony now claimed Horizon was original rather than based on “ubiquitous genre ingredients.” The defense essentially positioned the lawsuit as Sony attempting to monopolize an entire genre through copyright claims.
Sony Fires Back With Nonsense Claims
Sony wasn’t having it. In October 2025, the company filed opposition to Tencent’s motion to dismiss, blasting Tencent’s response as “nonsense” and insisting “the damage is done and it continues.” Sony accused Tencent of trying to minimize its involvement by using shell entities even though the Chinese firm remained “at the helm.” The company emphasized how egregious the copying was by quoting journalists and fans who immediately recognized Light of Motiram as a blatant Horizon rip-off.
Sony also requested Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, known for presiding over the FTC vs Microsoft-Activision Blizzard case, to grant a preliminary injunction by the end of 2025. The motion sought to immediately bar Tencent from promoting Light of Motiram using the controversial red-haired protagonist, similar visuals, storyline elements, and music. Sony attached sworn declarations from Guerrilla Games Studio and Art Director Jan-Bart van Beek, music lead Lucas van Tol, PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash, and Sony brand IP director Matthew Kuykendall to support its claims.
The Agreement To Stop Promoting
As the legal battle intensified, Tencent agreed in early December 2025 not to promote Light of Motiram while the lawsuit proceeded. This suggested Tencent recognized the precarious position it faced. Quietly removing marketing materials and halting promotional activities indicated the company understood Sony’s case had merit or at minimum wanted to avoid further negative publicity while negotiations continued behind the scenes.
Light of Motiram had remained on Steam and Epic Games Store wishlist pages throughout much of the legal battle but without a firm release date. The game’s status became increasingly uncertain as the lawsuit progressed, with industry observers speculating whether Tencent would substantially redesign the game to address Sony’s complaints or simply cancel the project entirely to avoid prolonged expensive litigation.
The Confidential Settlement
On December 17, 2025, court documents revealed Sony and Tencent reached a confidential settlement agreement, with the case dismissed with prejudice. Dismissal with prejudice means the lawsuit cannot be refiled, indicating both parties agreed this matter is permanently resolved under terms neither company will publicly disclose. Light of Motiram disappeared from Steam and Epic Games Store immediately following the settlement announcement, strongly suggesting the game has been canceled entirely.
The confidential nature of the settlement leaves crucial questions unanswered. Did Tencent pay Sony damages? Did the settlement include licensing agreements allowing Tencent to use Horizon elements in modified form? Did Sony simply get the game killed in exchange for not pursuing maximum damages? Without transparency, the gaming community can only speculate about what concessions each side made to end this dispute.
What This Means For Gaming Industry
The Sony vs Tencent settlement sends mixed signals about intellectual property enforcement in gaming. On one hand, Sony successfully stopped what appeared to be blatant copying of its flagship franchise, demonstrating that major publishers will aggressively defend their IP even against massive companies like Tencent. On the other hand, the confidential settlement and quick resolution might embolden future copycats who believe they can negotiate settlements rather than face public trials and definitive legal precedents.
The case also highlights China’s complicated relationship with intellectual property. Western companies frequently accuse Chinese firms of copying games, technologies, and designs with minimal consequences. When disputes reach Western courts, settlements often occur rather than establishing clear legal boundaries about what constitutes actionable copyright infringement versus genre conventions and common tropes. This perpetuates the cycle where copying continues until companies get caught, then settlements happen behind closed doors without public accountability.
The Horizon Franchise Impact
Sony’s aggressive legal action demonstrates how seriously the company takes the Horizon franchise. With multiple games released, a LEGO spinoff, and plans for continued expansion, Horizon represents significant investment and revenue potential. Allowing a high-profile clone to proceed would have undermined the brand’s distinctiveness and potentially confused consumers about which game was the authentic Horizon experience.
Interestingly, Sony’s lawsuit mentioned that Tencent’s Light of Motiram “jeopardizes Horizon’s continued success, including current expansion plans for the franchise.” This language suggests Sony has substantial unrevealed plans for Horizon beyond existing releases. Whether those plans include additional mainline entries, more spinoffs, transmedia projects like television adaptations, or other ventures remains speculation, but clearly Sony views Horizon as a crown jewel worth protecting at all costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Light of Motiram?
The game has been removed from Steam and Epic Games Store following a confidential settlement between Sony and Tencent. It’s likely canceled entirely, though neither company has confirmed this publicly.
Did Tencent pay Sony damages?
Unknown. The settlement is confidential, meaning neither company will disclose financial terms or other concessions made to resolve the lawsuit.
Can Sony refile the lawsuit?
No. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it’s permanently resolved and cannot be refiled regardless of what happens in the future.
Was Light of Motiram really a Horizon clone?
The reveal trailer showed striking similarities including post-apocalyptic settings, mechanical dinosaurs, red-haired protagonist, and nearly identical visual aesthetics. Gaming journalists and fans immediately noticed the resemblance.
Did Tencent try to license Horizon before making Light of Motiram?
Yes. According to Sony’s lawsuit, Tencent pitched collaborating on a Horizon game in March 2024. Sony declined, then Light of Motiram was announced in November 2024.
Will there be other Horizon clones?
Possibly, but Sony’s aggressive legal response likely discourages blatant copying. Companies may think twice before creating obvious Horizon clones after seeing this lawsuit’s outcome.
What other games did Tencent compare Light of Motiram to?
In its defense, Tencent argued many games share similar elements, citing Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Far Cry Primal, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, and others as having comparable post-apocalyptic or robot dinosaur themes.
Could Light of Motiram return in modified form?
Theoretically possible under the settlement’s terms, but the game’s complete removal from storefronts suggests it’s dead. Any resurrection would require substantial redesigns to avoid resembling Horizon.
The Price Of Imitation
Light of Motiram’s rapid rise and fall illustrates the risks of creating games too similar to existing franchises. Whether Tencent genuinely believed its game was sufficiently distinct or cynically calculated that copying would generate attention and potential settlement money remains unclear. What’s certain is that Sony viewed the similarities as existential threats to Horizon’s brand identity and acted decisively to eliminate the competition. The confidential settlement leaves the gaming community without clear answers about where the legal line exists between inspiration and infringement. Genre conventions allow multiple games to feature similar themes, mechanics, and aesthetics. But there’s a difference between games that share DNA within a genre and games that appear designed to deliberately confuse consumers about which franchise they’re buying into. Light of Motiram seemingly crossed that line based on the immediate public reaction comparing it to Horizon. For Tencent, this represents an embarrassing setback for a company that’s become one of gaming’s most powerful forces through investments, acquisitions, and internal development. For Sony, it’s a warning shot to anyone considering cloning PlayStation exclusives. The Horizon franchise belongs to Sony, and the company will burn legal budgets defending it rather than allowing knockoffs to dilute the brand. Whether this deters future imitators or simply makes them more careful about how obviously they copy remains to be seen. But for now, Light of Motiram joins the graveyard of canceled games that got too close to the sun, and Aloy’s red hair remains distinctively hers.