Sony sues Tencent for plagiarizing Horizon in Light of Motivation

In February 2025, video game fans were shocked to see the trailer for Light of Motiram , an open-world, post-apocalyptic adventure starring a female warrior fighting against colossal machines. Many thought it looked familiar. Too familiar. The internet was filled with comments comparing it to Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West , two of PlayStation's most successful titles of the last decade.

What seemed like an aesthetic coincidence ended in a lawsuit.

According to Reuters , Sony has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Tencent, one of China's entertainment giants, in California. Its legal argument claims that the game Light of Motiram , developed by Polaris Quest (a studio subsidized by Tencent), copies key elements of the Horizon universe.

From the world design and robotic creatures to the narrative centered on a ruined civilization rising from the technological ashes, the similarities are more than evident, according to PlayStation.

The unexpected twist in this story is that, in 2024, Tencent and Sony were close to collaborating to develop a new Horizon installment. However, the negotiations fell through. Shortly after, Tencent unveiled its own project, which drew Sony's ire due to its narrative and visual parallels.

Coincidence? Sony doesn't think so, and is now demanding financial compensation and a court order preventing Tencent from continuing development of the game.

The most intriguing aspect of the case is that Light of Motiram was planned for release on PS5, in addition to PC and mobile devices. This caused confusion: Had Sony approved its release on the console? There's speculation that the title may have slipped into the PlayStation ecosystem without detailed analysis.

In the past, the PS Store has hosted games that border on plagiarism, such as copies of The Last of Us or Animal Crossing , so this precedent is not minor.

The case between Sony and Tencent opens a discussion about the limits of inspiration in the video game industry. Where does homage end and plagiarism begin? Is it valid to emulate a successful formula if the names and interface are changed? While the courts decide the fate of Light of Mothra , the case is already generating enough buzz to influence future collaborations between Asian and Western studios.