Tencent Rejects Sony's Horizon Copycat Claims, Calls Lawsuit an Attempt to Monopolize Genre Tropes
The legal battle between gaming giants Sony and Tencent continues to escalate. Tencent has formally responded to Sony's accusations that its upcoming survival RPG, Light of Motiram, brazenly copies elements from Sony's successful Horizon Zero Dawn series. While Sony's July lawsuit alleged "unconscionable copying," Tencent is now pushing back, filing a motion to dismiss the case and arguing that Sony is attempting an "unlawful monopoly" on widespread game mechanics and themes.
Sony's Initial Allegations
Sony's initial complaint centered on striking similarities between Light of Motiram and Horizon Zero Dawn. These included a red-haired female protagonist, the presence of mechanical beasts, and a post-apocalyptic open-world setting. Sony's lawyers claimed that Light of Motiram's developer, Polaris Quest (a Tencent subsidiary), intended to capitalize on Horizon's success.
Tencent's Strategic Adjustments
Following the initial lawsuit, Tencent took steps to distance Light of Motiram from Horizon. In August, the game's digital store pages were updated with new screenshots. The prominent image of a red-haired woman in tribal attire was removed from the cover art, and the game's description was revised to place a greater emphasis on its survival elements rather than its narrative or character designs.
The Motion to Dismiss
A month later, Tencent filed its motion to dismiss Sony's lawsuit, presenting a multi-faceted argument. Tencent's legal team contends that Sony's lawsuit is flawed for two primary reasons: first, it attempts to claim ownership over generic gameplay concepts; and second, it was filed against the incorrect corporate entities.
Claim of Monopolization
Tencent's lawyers argue that Sony is not truly protecting a unique product, but rather aiming to monopolize common narrative and gameplay elements that have been utilized by many developers for years. "Sony seeks to improperly monopolize established genre conventions," Tencent stated in its response. The company cited examples like the inclusion of robotic animals and red-haired protagonists in numerous other titles, including Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, The Legend of Zelda, Far Cry, and Biomutant. Tencent asserts that Sony is trying to "turn universally accepted genre elements into proprietary property" by suing an unreleased game that merely uses "time-tested tropes" also seen in dozens of other games released both before and after Horizon.
Questioning Horizon's Originality
Tencent further challenged Sony's assertion that the Horizon universe is "unlike any other fictional world." They pointed to statements made by developers from Guerrilla Games in a documentary about Horizon Zero Dawn's creation. Specifically, Jan-Bart Van Beek, then Art Director, reportedly acknowledged that Horizon's core concept—a red-haired girl surviving in a world overrun by machines—was not new and drew parallels to the 2013 game Enslaved. According to Tencent, Van Beek had even cautioned against the project due to "too many similar elements" with Enslaved. Tencent's filing suggests that Sony consciously proceeded with Horizon despite knowing its concept wasn't groundbreaking, and that upon its 2017 release, players widely noted its similarities to Enslaved and other genre benchmarks.
Disputed GDC Meeting
The dispute also touches on a March 2024 GDC meeting in San Francisco. Sony claimed that Tencent representatives proposed developing a licensed mobile spin-off of Horizon but the idea was rejected. Tencent, however, clarified that while representatives from its subsidiaries were present, no licensing agreement was reached, nor were any infringing materials demonstrated or exchanged. Tencent contends that Sony's entire case is built on assumptions about what the game might look like upon its release, currently slated for late 2027. "The alleged infringements have not occurred and, in fact, may never occur," the company argued.
The Wrong Defendants?
Perhaps the most direct legal challenge from Tencent is the claim that Sony has sued the wrong parties. Sony's lawsuit named Tencent America, Proxima Beta US, and Tencent Holdings. However, Tencent maintains that none of these specific entities are directly developing Light of Motiram. Instead, the project is primarily handled by Polaris Quest (a subsidiary of Tencent Technology) and Singapore-based Proxima Beta PTE. Tencent suggests this jurisdictional oversight alone should be grounds for dismissal.
What This Means for Players
Light of Motiram is currently planned for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and mobile platforms as a free-to-play title, with Russian subtitle support confirmed. While its initial release was targeted for 2025, it is now expected in late 2027. This ongoing legal saga highlights the complex line between inspiration and alleged infringement in game development. The outcome of this case could set a significant precedent for how original game concepts are protected and how widely adopted genre conventions can be utilized by other developers. Players will be watching closely to see how these legal battles might impact the final form and future of games like Light of Motiram.
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