Sony Sues Tencent Over Alleged Horizon Copyright Infringement

Sony has begun a lawsuit against Tencent with claims of copyright infringement. The allegations claim that Tencent stole the Horizon series trademarks in its upcoming title: Light of Motiram. Within the lawsuit, sourced by Reuters, Sony alleges that Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” with several distinctive Horizon series elements, and thereby threatens to confuse consumers. 

The lawsuit is still very much in the beginning stages and has not seen more development as of writing. The Horizon series has two main entries: Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West; they were released in 2017 and 2022, respectively. The Horizon series saw critical acclaim thanks to its art direction, which features vibrant open worlds and detailed character models and machine designs. Horizon Zero Dawn was awarded SXSW Gaming Awards for Excellence in Visual Achievement. 

As for Light of Motiram, the upcoming title developed by Polaris Quest, the title features robotic animals within a post-apocalyptic world, allegedly reminiscent of the world setting within the Horizon series. The title’s release date is not yet announced. 

Nintendo and Palworld saw a very similar lawsuit, where Nintendo pressured Palworld in an attempt to take legal precedent over the indie company. Despite the legal pressures, Palworld continues to see updates and to flourish, having celebrated its 32 million player milestone months ago. Palworld did see small gameplay adjustments to compromise with legal claims, but the game is alive and kicking.