Today, Sony has finally filed legal action over a dispute about one of its biggest franchises,Horizon, which includes blockbuster RPGsHorizon Zero DawnandHorizon Forbidden West. There hasbeen a major game by Tencent Games that, according to Sony, allegedly rips off the original IP and warrants a lawsuit.
According toReuters,Sony has reportedly filed a lawsuit in California federal court for copyright and trademark infringementagainst Tencent Games.Sony believes thatLight of Moritamis blatantly ripping off theHorizongames, callingLight of Moritama"slavish clone"ofHorizonand its iconic characters and world. Sony argues that the striking likeness ofLight of MoritamtoHorizonwill confuse buyers.
Sony Is Suing Tencent
Tencent’s Light Of Moriam Is Under Fire
Tencent’sLight of Moritamhas been in the spotlight since its announcement, being perceived as a somewhatobvious and blatant copycatofHorizon.Andit seems like Sony has taken notice to these concerns,as today they have filed a lawsuit aimed atLight of Moritam’saesthetic overlap withHorizon.Referred to officially as Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC v. Tencent Holdings Ltd (Case No. 3:25-cv-06275), Sony hopes to block Tencent from violating IP rights and collect monetary compensation to boot.
The suitcenters on copyright and trademark infringement against Tencent forLight of Moritam’salleged knock-off art design, gameplay, story, and otherfeatures that are extremelyHorizon-esque.Tencent apparently attempted to collaborate with Sony on a newHorizongame,but Sony turned them down, which obviously didn’t stop Tencent from continuing development on the project.
Sony Says Light of Motiram Looks Too Close To Horizon
It’s Hard To Ignore Motiram’s Resemblance To Horizon
Sony definitely has grounds for the lawsuit, asanyone with a working set of eyes can see the similaritiesbetween Tencent’sLight of Moritamto theHorizonIP. Everything, from the main character’s iconic hair color and style to the robot-animal-type enemies and the Viking/sci-fi hybrid aesthetic, is pretty much identical. Sony says explicitly that the game is a"slavish clone,“and Tencent likely won’t have much of a defense given the obvious overlap.
It’s hard to imagine Tencent’s release ofLight of Moritamwon’t be affected in a major way.
WhileLight of Moritam’sresemblance toHorizonisn’t an automatic death sentence, it’s hard to say what’s in store for the game after this lawsuit. Sony won’t back down if it has a clear case of IP theft, and Tencent will possibly end up settling or be ordered to compensate Sony. Regardless, it’s hard to imagine Tencent’s release ofLight of Moritamwon’t be affected in a major way.
