Sony Interactive Entertainment has initiated legal proceedings against Tencent, accusing his MMO Light of Motiram of the Horizon saga plagiarism. The complaint, filed on July 25, 2025 in California, requires a trial with jury to “Violation of copyright and brand”.
A irreparable “plagiarism qualified”
In the document consulted by Reuters, Sony describes a frontal imitation: mechanical creatures with the design of the characters, in particular the protagonist modeled on Aloy, Light of Motiram would have pushed the copy until “Misleading the public”. The Japanese giant claims up to $ 150,000 per plagiarized element and requires the destruction of the assets of the game.
The controversial genesis of the project
According to the complaint, Tencent initially approached Sony in 2024 to develop an official game in the Horizon Forbidden West universe. After rejection of the proposal, the Chinese giant would have recycled the concept under the name Light of Motiramusing the saga as “template” for its own MMO. “Tencent deliberately seeks to make fans believe that it is the next opus”denounces Sony.
Despite the procedure, Light of Motiram Remains listed on Steam (without release date). The tencent subsidiary, Polaris Quest, in charge of development, is also targeted by the complaint. Sony claims to undergo “irreparable damage” and demands the pure and simple blockage of marketing.
This conflict recalls the Palworld/Pokémon affair, where similarities had triggered debates on the limits of inspiration. No Tencent’s response has been formulated to date. The outcome of the trial could establish a major legal precedent in the fight against disguised plagium.
