Horizon Crisis Grows Between Sony and Tencent

Sony’s iconic Horizon series is now at the center of a massive legal battle. Sony Interactive Entertainment, owner of PlayStation, has filed a lawsuit in the US against the Chinese tech giant Tencent. The lawsuit alleges that Tencent’s unreleased game, Light of Motiram, directly quotes Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. According to Sony, the game is not only similar but also “a shockingly exact copy.”

The Horizon Series Claims to Be a “One-to-One Clone”

Sony’s lawsuit, filed in the Northern District Court of California on July 25th, alleges that Light of Motiram copies the Horizon universe not only thematically but also visually and character-wise. The lawsuit specifically alleges that Tencent’s promotion of a character similar to Aloy as the main character in its promotional campaign has led players to mistake the game for a new installment in the Horizon series. Sony argues that this is a deliberate marketing strategy.

According to the lawsuit, Sony has sought damages of up to $150,000 for each Horizon game. It also seeks the return of any unjust revenue Tencent earned from these violations and a ban on the release of Light of Motiram. Neither company has yet issued an official statement, but it is anticipated that the lawsuit could have significant impact on the industry if it escalates.

Tencent’s promotional material describes Light of Motiram as “an open-world game set in a world overrun by giant machines.” The game, which promises a universe where players can build bases, tame mechanical creatures, and strive to survive by developing technology, resembles the structural formula of the Horizon series in many ways. Moreover, this similarity doesn’t stop with the story; even the character designs, environmental details, and even gameplay animations used in promotional videos reveal the similarity.

While this lawsuit appears to be merely a copyright dispute between the two companies, it signals a larger debate: Where do intellectual property boundaries begin and end in the global gaming industry? The launch of such a project by a major company like Tencent could set a new precedent in international law that will be closely watched. If the court rules in Sony’s favor, it could mark the beginning of a period in which these similarity claims will gain even more prominence.

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