Tencent has paused the promotion and public testing of its open-world survival game, Light of Motiram, amidst a legal dispute with Sony. The latter has accused Tencent of creating a "slavish clone" of its hit Horizon series. The lawsuit highlights similarities between Light of Motiram and Horizon's key art, featuring mechanized creatures and a lead character reminiscent of Aloy. As the court case unfolds, Tencent has agreed to refrain from new promotions while the legal motions are deliberated, which includes avoiding any release before Q4 2027.

What are the key similarities between Light of Motiram and Horizon Forbidden West?

Key similarities include the presence of mechanized animal-like creatures and character designs that bear a strong resemblance to Horizon's protagonist, Aloy. Sony's allegations point to these design choices as evidence of copyright and trademark infringement, underlining the visual and thematic parallels between the two games.

Horizon Forbidden West, developed by Guerrilla Games, is known for its stunning open-world environment and engaging story revolving around Aloy as she battles robotic foes in a post-apocalyptic landscape. This franchise has garnered significant success, making the allegations against Tencent's Light of Motiram particularly sensitive within the gaming community. The outcome of this lawsuit could potentially reshape the competitive landscape for survival games, especially regarding originality and intellectual property rights.