Sony sues Tencent for plagiarizing Horizon Zero Dawn over 'Light of Motiram,' which has been described as 'Horizon Zero Originality'

Horizon Zero Dawn is an action RPG developed by Guerrilla Games , a subsidiary of Sony, in which players adventure around the world as hunters hunting down mechanical lifeforms in a world where civilization has collapsed. The hugely popular game has sold over 20 million copies worldwide , but Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent , a Chinese company, for plagiarism.

Sony sues Tencent for allegedly ripping off 'Horizon' video games | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/sony-sues-tencent-allegedly-ripping-off-horizon-video-games-2025-07-28/

Sony sues Tencent over Horizon Zero Dawn 'rip-off' Light of Motiram | Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/news/616944/sony-tencent-lawsuit-horizon-zero-dawn-light-of-motiram-ps5

On July 25, 2025, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the company behind the PlayStation brand, filed a lawsuit against Tencent in California federal court for copyright and trademark infringement. SIE accused Tencent of plagiarizing SIE's popular game, Horizon: Zero Dawn.

SIE pointed out that Tencent's 2024 release, Light of Motiram, is a 'faithful clone' of Horizon: Zero Dawn and imitates several of the game's distinctive features.

At the time of the Light of Motiram announcement, game media criticized it as 'a wild copy of Horizon Zero Dawn.' You can find out more about what aspects of Light of Motiram are similar to Horizon Zero Dawn by reading the following article.

Tencent announces 'Light of Motiram,' which the media calls 'a wild copy of Horizon Zero Dawn' - GIGAZINE

Reuters has reached out to a Tencent spokesperson and a Sony lawyer and spokesperson for comment, but has not received a response at the time of writing.

In its complaint, SIE reveals that in 2024, Tencent approached SIE about developing a new title in the Horizon Zero Dawn series. According to SIE, Tencent's proposal was for a mobile spinoff of Horizon Zero Dawn, featuring 'oriental aesthetics,' 'survival, crafting, pet taming,' and 'multiplayer elements.' The complaint also alleges that Tencent's proposal included 'mockups of oriental designs and settings, including one depicting Aloy standing on the Great Wall of China.'

However, SIE revealed that it turned down Tencent's offer. Tencent then released Light of Motiram, which SIE claims is similar to Horizon Zero Dawn in terms of gameplay, story, and art elements.

You can watch the Light of Motiram announcement trailer below:

LIGHT OF MOTIRAM | Official Announcement Trailer - YouTube


In its complaint, SIE cites media descriptions of Light of Motiram as a 'Horizon Zero Dawn knockoff' and 'Horizon Zero Originality.'

SIE sought $150,000 in damages for each Horizon Zero Dawn game and an injunction blocking the release of Light of Motiram.