Tencent and Sony have reportedly reached a confidential settlement concerning the release of Tencent’s sci-fi adventure Light of Motiram, which had been accused of ‘slavishly’ cloning Sony’s Horizon IP.
Light of Motiram lawsuit settled – quick links
Sony’s initial lawsuit accused Light of Motiram of being a ‘slavish clone’
In mid-2025, Tecent revealed Light of Motiram on various game storefronts, with screenshots showing off a relatively familiar post-apocalyptic world. Players would travel as a young female warrior with flaming red hair, and face off with high tech machines in the form of animals, from towering elephants to small deers.
Following this reveal, Sony sued Tencent, alleged Light of Motiram was designed to crib from Horizon, and that its appearance and similarity to this franchise would cause confusion amongst players.
‘Tencent’s unlawful copying of the protected audiovisual elements of the Horizon games, as well as its deliberate adoption of a confusingly similar character mark, constitutes both copyright and trademark infringement that should be enjoined immediately to prevent irreparable harm to SIE and the consuming public,’ Sony said in its lawsuit.
‘Tencent also used its rip-off of the iconic Horizon main character “Aloy” as the centrepiece of its pre-release marketing and promotional strategy, deliberately causing numerous game lovers to confuse Light of Motiram as the next game in the Horizon series when encountering Tencent’s promotional game play videos and social media accounts.’
Tencent gave Light of Motiram a face-lift following Sony lawsuit
In the month after this suit filing, Tencent attempt to better differentiate Light of Motiram by updating the screenshots included alongside its storefront listings. These focussed more on the game’s colourful world, and notably removed the game’s main protagonist, replacing her with a dog-like creature and a robotic penguin.
The game’s description also changed, to remove references to colossal machines and advanced technology, both of which are staples of the Horizon franchise.
It does appear these changes weren’t enough to save Light of Motiram, as court documents surfaced by The Game Post suggest Sony and Tecent have settled, with the proviso that Light of Motiram be removed from storefronts.
What’s next for Tencent’s Light of Motiram
With the settlement, the filed lawsuit has reportedly been dismissed with prejudice, which means it can’t return to a court of law. Instead, Sony and Tencent have agreed to private terms, which will likely be kept secret.
There is no public admission of what occurred between the two parties, nor whether money changed hands. As The Game Post points out, Light of Motiram was removed from storefronts following the settlement, but with no further details, it’s unclear whether the title has been outright cancelled, or whether another deal has been worked out.
Tencent could have scrapped the game entirely, or it could be working on a new project built from its bones. Given the months-long legal process that took place behind the scenes, it feels unlikely we’ll get a tangible update on this project in future, but it’s still worth keeping an eye on Tencent’s upcoming projects to see whether the spirit of Light of Motiram will live on.
Also on ScreenHub: Sonic the Hedgehog to face Godzilla in latest crossover
Sonic the Hedgehog and his dearest pals are set to face off with Godzilla in Sonic Rumble, as the iconic kaiju joins the game for a limited-time season of content. From 22 December, players will be able to enter Sonic Rumble to take part in the new Godzilla Survival stage, which tasks players with running away from a Godzilla attack in the middle of the ocean.
Read more …
