Sony Sues Tencent for Copyright Infringement, Says Its Sport Is ‘Slavish Clone’ of Horizon Franchise

Sony has introduced a lawsuit towards Tencent within the US, accusing the Chinese agency of infringing its copyright with an upcoming sport that it says carefully resembles its Horizon franchise. Tencent introduced Light of Motiram, an open-world survival title, final yr, that immediately caught individuals’s consideration for its similarities to Horizon video games. As per Reuters, Sony is now suing the corporate, claiming the sport is a “slavish clone” of its first-party action-adventure franchise.

Sony Sues Tencent Over Copyright Infringement

According Reuters’ report, Sony mentioned in its lawsuit that Tencent’s Light of Motiram copies a number of parts from Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn and its sequel Horizon Forbidden West. The offending sport may, Sony argued, confuse prospects.

Sony additional claimed in its lawsuit that Tencent had approached it with a proposal to collaborate on a brand new “Horizon” sport in 2024, which the PlayStation mum or dad declined. Tencent then went on and introduced Light of Motiram, which — in keeping with the Reuters report —Sony mentioned featured gameplay, story themes and inventive parts equivalent to Horizon video games.

Sony is searching for financial damages from Tencent and an injunction blocking the corporate from infringing its mental property.

Light of Motiram was introduced in November 2024 and immediately drew criticism for its visible and thematic similarities to Horizon video games. The Tencent sport options tameable mechanical animals, referred to as “Mechanimals”, and is ready in a post-apocalyptic wilderness — each very harking back to Horizon Zero Dawn. The sport additionally options survival and crafting parts just like Palworld. Light of Motiram is developed by Polaris Quest and is at the moment accessible to wishlist on Steam. Tencent has not confirmed a launch date for the sport but.

In its lawsuit, Sony has additionally lastly confirmed franchise gross sales for Horizon video games. According to court docket paperwork, as noticed by X consumer @shinobi602, the Horizon franchise has bought over 38 million copies globally. Sony’s franchise gross sales quantity would come with the 2 mainline Horizon video games and their DLC content material, the remastered model of Horizon Zero Dawn, Lego Horizon Adventures spinoff, and Horizon Call of the Mountain VR title.