Sony sues Tencent over Horizon Zero Dawn ‘rip-off’

Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, the world's largest gaming company, over its new game "Light of Motiram." Sony alleges that the game is a "slavish clone" of its popular Horizon series and infringes on its intellectual property. The lawsuit claims that Tencent approached Sony in 2024 with a proposal to create a mobile Horizon spinoff game, which the Japanese company declined. The lawsuit further alleges that Tencent's Light of Motiram features striking similarities to Horizon, including the game's setting, character design, and overall aesthetic. Sony is seeking to block the release of Light of Motiram and is also seeking $150,000 in statutory damages for each separate work in the Horizon series that has been infringed upon. The lawsuit cites fan comments and news articles that have called out the similarities between the two games as "shameless" and lacking in originality. The article notes that while Light of Motiram does have some differentiating features, such as co-op, base-building, and a focus on crafting, the affinity with Horizon is hard to ignore, and Sony appears to be taking a strong stance to protect its intellectual property.