Sony Interactive Entertainment files lawsuit against Tencent for Horizon ‘clone’ Light of Motiram

Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tencent in California federal court, alleging that the company ripped off its Horizon series of video games with the November 2024-announced title Light of Motiram, according to a Reuters report.

The lawsuit describes Light of Motiram as a “slavish clone” featuring identical gameplay, story themes, and artistic elements to Horizon, as well as other similarities.

Sony Interactive Entertainment also said in the lawsuit that it declined an offer from Tencent to collaborate on a new Horizon game in 2024, before Tencent announced Light of Motiram.

According to the lawsuit, journalists have described Light of Motiram as a “knock-off” of Horizon, including one who called the game “Horizon Zero Originality.”

Sony Interactive Entertainment asked the court for an unspecified amount in monetary damages, and an order blocking Tencent from violating its intellectual property rights.

Neither Sony Interactive Entertainment or Tencent immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Despite the lawsuit, Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai posted on its social channels in November 2024 that Light of Motiram would also be released for PlayStation 5, suggesting that the company had no issue with the game’s similarities to the Horizon series. While the Weibo and Bililbi posts have since been removed, the Weibo post is still accessible via Archive.org.