Sony and Tencent Settle Horizon “Clone” Lawsuit

Sony and Tencent have ended their legal battle over Light of Motiram, reaching a confidential settlement that permanently closes the case. Court documents filed on 17 Dec. 2025 show the lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be brought into court again.

Sony Interactive Entertainment sued Tencent and its subsidiaries in July 2025 in a California federal court, seeking to block the game’s release. Sony alleged that Light of Motiram was a “slavish clone” of its Horizon franchise and accused Tencent of copyright and trademark infringement.

The filing argued that the similarities between Light of Motiram and Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West were so extensive that players could be misled into thinking the game was part of the same series.

The case concluded after both companies jointly asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit following a confidential settlement. The filing confirms that all pending motions were withdrawn and that each side will cover its own legal costs. No financial details or additional conditions of the agreement were disclosed.

“SIE and Tencent are pleased to have reached a confidential resolution and will have no further public comment on this matter,” said Sean Durkin, head of communications for Tencent Americas, in a statement to The Verge, while Sony did not respond to a request for comment.

Light of Motiram Delisted After Horizon Copyright Dispute

Light of Motiram was announced last year and quickly attracted scrutiny for its resemblance to Horizon, featuring lush environments, advanced technology, and large animal-like machines. 

Sony also alleged that Tencent used a character resembling Horizon protagonist ‘Aloy’ as the centerpiece of its marketing. “Tencent’s unlawful copying of the protected audiovisual elements of the Horizon games… constitutes both copyright and trademark infringement,” Sony said in its lawsuit.

Tencent disputed the claims, arguing that Sony was attempting to monopolize genre conventions and common stylistic elements. 

As recently as earlier this month, the case appeared headed toward a major hearing in early 2026, with Tencent agreeing to pause promotion and public testing while the legal schedule played out.

That process ended abruptly with this week’s settlement, shortly before Light of Motiram was delisted from major PC storefronts. SteamDB now lists the game as “retired,” and Epic Games Store pages no longer load, showing a 404 error.

With the lawsuit closed and the game unavailable, the dispute ends without a public ruling on where inspiration crosses into infringement, underscoring the legal risks surrounding projects that closely mirror established franchises.