Sony sues Tencent for creating a 'slavish clone' of its Horizon IP
Sony has accused the Chinese conglomerate Tencent of producing a "slavish clone" of its Horizon franchise. Sony has filed a case of copyright and trademark infringement in the California federal court.
In the lawsuit, Sony has claimed that the upcoming Light of Motiram has been described by the public and content creators as a blatant rip-off, copying several of Horizon's distinctive elements.
As reported by Reuters, Sony claims that Tencent approached them in 2024 to pitch a potential collaboration on a Horizon spin-off mobile game, an offer that Sony turned down. Tencent announced Light of Motiram later that year.
Tencent pitched a Horizon spin-off with "Eastern aesthetics," along with multiplayer features and "survival, crafting and pet taming."
The company alleges that Tencent's game shares many similarities in gameplay, themes, several artistic elements, and even features a protagonist with a heavy resemblance to Horizon's Alloy.
Sony further stated in the lawsuit that Tencent "has caused and is causing irreparable injury to SIE" and is seeking statutory damages for "each separate work in the Horizon franchise infringed." It also wants Tencent to destroy all products or marketing materials linked with the game.
Game journalists and players have been calling the game a rip-off for months now, a fact that Sony references in the lawsuit. Honestly, it's not hard to see why.
Tencent announced Light of Motiram on November 28, 2024, for PC, PlayStation 5, Android, and iOS. The game doesn't have a release date yet.
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