Tencent Over Alleged “Shameless Rip-Off” of Horizon Zero Dawn
A major legal clash is unfolding in the gaming world, pitting Sony against the Chinese tech giant Tencent. The controversy centers on an upcoming open-world RPG, Light of Motiram, developed by Polaris Quest and published by Tencent. Sony has filed a lawsuit alleging the game is a “slavish clone” of its critically acclaimed Horizon Zero Dawn franchise.
The similarities are immediately striking. Light of Motiram features a red-haired heroine who navigates a vast, post-apocalyptic landscape filled with mechanical creatures—a visual and conceptual echo of Aloy’s journey in Guerrilla Games’ hit series. When the game was first announced in late 2024, gamers were quick to point out these parallels, branding it a shameless rip-off before a single line of code was officially shown.
Sony’s lawsuit argues that Tencent and Polaris Quest have crossed the line from inspiration to imitation, infringing on the unique identity of the Horizon series. The backlash from the gaming community was so severe that the developers delayed Light of Motiram from its original 2025 release to late 2027, ostensibly to retool the game and establish a more original identity.
Tencent, however, is mounting a vigorous defense. The company has hit back, accusing Sony of attempting to claim an “impermissible monopoly on genre conventions.” Tencent’s legal response argues that the elements Sony claims to own—such as a red-haired protagonist, an open world, and mechanical beasts—are common tropes found in many other games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Far Cry series.
The court of public opinion, however, seems to side with Sony. On social media, fans have been vocal in their criticism. One user noted, “If I didn’t know what Horizon Zero Dawn was I would think they were the same damn thing,” while another commented, “Taking inspiration from multiple other games… is fine, what Tencent is doing is a blatant rip-off of a single game.”
This case highlights the fine and often contentious line between drawing inspiration from successful games and creating a derivative copy. The outcome could set a significant precedent for how intellectual property is protected within similar genres in the gaming industry.
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- Sony Sues Tencent Over Alleged “Blatant” Horizon Zero Dawn Clone
For now, Light of Motiram remains in development, with its future heavily dependent on the outcome of this legal battle and its team’s ability to carve out a truly unique identity over the next three years.