Sony sues Tencent over its Horizon Zero Dawn clone

Sony is suing Tencent over its upcoming game Light of Motiram, claiming it copies nearly every aspect of the Horizon franchise. Tencent announced Light of Motiram in November 2024, and the game bears striking similarities to Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. The lawsuit alleges that Tencent's game copies the post-apocalyptic setting, character designs, and online presentation of the Horizon franchise. Sony describes Light of Motiram as a "slavish clone" of Horizon, which was easily recognizable when Tencent first announced the game. What's more, Sony claims that Tencent previously tried to license the Horizon IP to develop its own Horizon game, but was rejected. Despite this, Tencent went ahead and announced Light of Motiram, which features many of the same mechanics and visual elements it pitched to Sony. Sony is seeking an injunction to stop Tencent from developing or releasing Light of Motiram, as well as monetary damages and the destruction of any related materials. The lawsuit argues that Light of Motiram will cause customer confusion and damage to the Horizon franchise. Tencent will need to respond to the lawsuit and argue against Sony's claims. The case appears to be a difficult one for Tencent to defend, given the similarities between the two games.