Sony and Tencent settle lawsuit over "slavish clone" of Horizon: Zero Dawn - GamesIndustry.biz
December 18, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Sony and Tencent settle lawsuit over alleged Horizon Zero Dawn clone
Sony and Tencent have resolved their legal dispute over the alleged similarities between Sony’s Horizon franchise and Tencent’s Light of Motiram. The settlement’s terms are confidential. The case has been dismissed with prejudice, preventing Sony from bringing the same claim again. Each company will cover its own legal costs.
Key points
- Settlement reached; terms not disclosed
- Case dismissed with prejudice; no re-filing on the same claims
- Both parties responsible for their own legal fees
- Light of Motiram remains delisted from Steam and the Epic Games Store
Background
- Sony sued Tencent in July 2025, alleging Light of Motiram was a slavish clone of Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West, and other entries in the franchise.
- Sony said Tencent had previously pitched a Horizon project that was declined, and that Light of Motiram appeared shortly afterward.
- Public reaction to the revealed gameplay, per Sony’s filing, widely highlighted striking similarities to Horizon.
Tencent’s response and Sony’s rebuttal
- Tencent argued in September 2025 that Sony was trying to monopolize genre conventions and turn common gameplay ingredients into proprietary assets.
- Sony dismissed that argument as nonsense, contending the damage was already done and noting Tencent’s claimed delay of Light of Motiram’s release until 2027.
Recent developments
- In December, Tencent halted marketing and testing for Light of Motiram ahead of a January 2026 court date.
- As of publication, the game remains delisted on major PC storefronts.
Why it matters
- The settlement underscores ongoing tension between protecting IP and acknowledging shared game design conventions, especially in high-budget open-world action titles.