Tencent Halts Promotion of Alleged Horizon Clone Amid Sony Lawsuit
▼ Summary
– Tencent has agreed to halt all promotion and public testing of its game *Light of Motiram* while Sony’s legal injunction request is pending.
– Sony sued Tencent, accusing the game of being a “slavish clone” and infringing on the copyright and trademark of its *Horizon* series.
– The legal dispute involves Tencent arguing Sony seeks an “impermissible monopoly,” while Sony dismissed that claim as “nonsense.”
– As part of a deal, Tencent also agreed not to release the game before Q4 2027 and Sony granted more time for Tencent to respond to the injunction.
– Court hearings for both Sony’s injunction and Tencent’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit have been jointly requested for a single day in January next year.
In a significant development within the ongoing legal dispute, Tencent has agreed to cease all promotional activities and public testing for its game Light of Motiram. This decision comes as part of a court-filed agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment, which previously sued the Chinese tech giant, alleging the title was a blatant copy of its popular Horizon franchise. The move effectively sidelines the controversial project while both parties prepare for a pivotal court hearing scheduled for early next year.
The conflict ignited shortly after Light of Motiram was revealed by Tencent’s Polaris Quest studio. Promotional artwork showcased a post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic animal-like machines and a protagonist whose design bore a striking resemblance to Aloy, the heroine of Sony’s series. Sony swiftly filed a lawsuit, accusing Tencent of copyright and trademark infringement related to these visual and thematic similarities.
Tencent initially pushed back against the allegations, arguing that Sony was attempting to claim an unfair monopoly over common genre elements, a defense Sony dismissed outright. Despite the public sparring, Tencent quietly revised the game’s Steam listing, softening some of the most obvious parallels to Horizon. Nevertheless, the legal proceedings continued unabated, with Sony seeking a court order to prevent the game’s eventual sale.
Under the terms of the newly submitted court filing, Tencent has committed to a series of specific restrictions while Sony’s request for a preliminary injunction is under consideration. The company will not initiate any fresh marketing campaigns or public tests for Light of Motiram. Furthermore, the release date for the game cannot be moved forward before the fourth quarter of 2027. In exchange, Sony has granted Tencent additional time to formally respond to the injunction motion, and both parties have agreed that this extended schedule will not be used against Sony in court.
The legal maneuvering also includes a joint request to consolidate two key hearings. Sony’s injunction request and Tencent’s motion to dismiss the entire lawsuit are now proposed to be heard on the same day in January. This agreement to pause promotion marks a tactical retreat for Tencent, allowing it to focus its efforts on the legal battle ahead while removing the game from public scrutiny. The outcome of next year’s hearings will determine the fate of Light of Motiram and could set an important precedent regarding intellectual property within the gaming industry.
(Source: Euro Gamer)
