Sony Escalates Legal Battle: Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against Tencent’s ‘Horizon’ Clone, Light of Motiram

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High-Stakes Legal Clash: Sony Moves to Halt Promotion and Development of Tencent’s Alleged Horizon Knockoff

In a significant escalation of the ongoing copyright infringement lawsuit, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has formally filed for a preliminary injunction against Chinese tech behemoth Tencent and its affiliates. The move targets the upcoming open-world survival game, Light of Motiram, which Sony has repeatedly labeled a “slavish clone” of its critically acclaimed PlayStation franchise, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.

The filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, seeks to immediately bar Tencent from reproducing, preparing derivative works of, displaying, performing, and distributing any materials allegedly copied or derived from the Horizon works. Crucially, this action aims to prevent Tencent from further promotional activities, the use of a key protagonist character, and potentially halt development on the title—a decisive move underscoring the severity of the alleged Intellectual Property (IP) violation in the global gaming market.

The Core of the Dispute: Alleged Copying of Protected Elements

Sony’s original lawsuit, filed in July 2025, outlined numerous similarities between Light of Motiram and the Horizon series, focusing heavily on what it claims are copies of protected artistic and narrative elements. The core of the current injunction request is the removal of the game’s red-haired “tribal warrior huntress” protagonist—a character Sony argues is confusingly similar to the iconic Horizon lead, Aloy.

Furthermore, the injunction seeks to prohibit the use of other specific visuals, storyline elements, and even a melody from the game’s trailer that Sony claims is too close to two compositions from the Horizon Zero Dawn Original Soundtrack (OST). In their latest filing, Sony doubled down, arguing that Tencent’s attempts to dismiss the case are “nonsense” and that “the damage is done—and it continues,” referencing the widespread public and media confusion that followed Light of Motiram’s initial announcement and promotion.

• Character Infringement: The Aloy lookalike, described as a “fierce tribal warrior huntress characterized by fiery red hair,” is a primary target, with Sony claiming it is an egregious effort to “trade off of the Aloy Character Mark’s goodwill and reputation.”
• Visuals and Storyline: Sony alleges pervasive copying of the distinctive post-apocalyptic world where tribal societies face off against massive, mechanical creatures.
• Sound Alike: The motion specifically targets a trailer melody, claiming it infringes on the copyright of two key Horizon musical pieces.

Tencent’s Defense: ‘Well-Trodden Tropes’ and Jurisdiction Arguments

In a previous motion to dismiss the lawsuit, Tencent asserted that Light of Motiram merely employs “well-trodden” genre ingredients, such as a female lead in a post-apocalyptic setting battling robot dinosaurs. The company argued that Sony is attempting to claim an impermissible monopoly over an entire genre and cited other titles like The Legend of Zelda and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West as having shared tropes.

Tencent also recently updated Light of Motiram’s Steam page, quietly scrubbing numerous screenshots and key art that depicted the Aloy-like protagonist and the prominent robot mastodons, and delayed the projected release date from late 2025 to Q4 2027. Sony has countered this by accusing Tencent of “playing a shell game” to avoid liability and asserting that the damage to the Horizon brand is already irreparable, regardless of the delayed release. The conglomerate is also attempting to use its labyrinthine corporate structure to muddy the waters on who holds ultimate responsibility for the game’s development.

The Impact on the Horizon Franchise and Future of IP Protection

The severity of Sony’s concerns is highlighted by sworn declarations from high-ranking executives, including Guerrilla Games Studio Director Jan-Bart van Beek and Head of PlayStation Productions Asad Qizilbash. These declarations underscore the fear that Light of Motiram has caused—and will continue to cause—consumer confusion, which could severely harm the growth and continued success of the Horizon franchise, including its current expansion plans into film and television.

Documents filed in the lawsuit also revealed new details on the highly anticipated Horizon Zero Dawn film adaptation, which has a working script and is slated to begin shooting in 2026 for a potential 2027 premiere. Sony argues that the continued promotion of the alleged knockoff directly jeopardizes the momentum and brand integrity of these multi-million dollar digital entertainment projects.

The court has scheduled a hearing on the preliminary injunction request for November 20, 2025. A decision by the court to grant the injunction could be a landmark moment for IP Protection in the Gaming Industry, potentially forcing a major redesign of Light of Motiram and sending a strong message about the enforceability of AAA Games copyrights against massive multinational corporations.

If the injunction is granted, Tencent would be barred from using the contested materials until the full resolution of the High-Stakes Lawsuit. This case is being closely watched by industry analysts and developers worldwide, as the outcome will undoubtedly set a precedent for future Global IP Rights disputes concerning alleged “slavish copies” in the rapidly expanding and Competitive Gaming Market.