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Sony has filed a significant lawsuit against Tencent, accusing the gaming powerhouse of copying its style in the upcoming Light of Motiram game.
But what makes the situation even more awkward is this—Tencent actually pitched a Horizon game to Sony first, and after being rejected not once, but twice, they went ahead and made their own version anyway.
What Was Tencent’s Original Pitch to Sony?
Court documents from July 2025 reveal that Tencent’s internal team, Aurora Studios, pitched Sony a polished mobile game proposal under the Horizon brand in March 2024.
Named Expanding the Horizon, the concept intended to move Aloy’s story beyond known areas and explore a post-apocalyptic Asia.
The presentation slides featured concepts such as new tribes based on Asian cultures, a mechanical dragon inspired by Eastern myths, and a scene of Aloy on the Great Wall of China.
Tencent pitched the game as a live-service experience with multiplayer, crafting systems, and pet-taming mechanics, hoping to tap into the Horizon series’ rising popularity in China.
The pitch was met with a courteous reply from Sony in April 2024, which acknowledged the team’s passion but ultimately said it didn’t match Guerrilla Games’ intended direction. From Sony’s point of view, that closed the chapter.
What they didn’t know was that Tencent was already deep into the development of a separate title—Light of Motiram—and hadn’t disclosed this during the original pitch. That omission is one of the major turning points in the lawsuit.
How Close Is Tencent’s Game to Horizon?
The drama escalated when Light of Motiram was made public in November 2024, highlighting a red-haired, bow-wielding character in a future world with robotic beasts.
To both fans and Sony, it felt strangely recognizable. Sony was even more confused because none of the regional features Tencent had initially proposed appeared in the reveal.
Gone were the Eastern-inspired landscapes and new tribes. Instead, what was shown looked far too similar to Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West, minus the brand name.
Was There a Chance to Settle This Privately?
After noticing the similarities, Sony reached out privately, trying to resolve the issue without escalating matters.
But Tencent didn’t back down. In fact, Sony alleges that Tencent came back a second time after the game's trailer was already public, asking again for permission to use the Horizon IP—only to be rejected once more.
That’s when Sony decided to take legal action. The lawsuit filed in Northern California claims that Light of Motiram copies Horizon’s visuals, robots, world layout, and main character design.
Sony is seeking up to $150,000 in damages for each piece of its work that’s been infringed upon and wants Tencent to hand over all related game and marketing materials so they can be permanently removed.
At the time of writing, Light of Motiram is still listed on Steam for wishlisting, though it doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet.
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