Tencent has formally moved to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Sony, which alleges that their upcoming title Light of Motiram constitutes a copy of the popular Horizon franchise. The legal dispute began when Tencent's subsidiary, Polaris Quest, unveiled the game in late 2024, prompting immediate comparisons to Guerrilla Games' post-apocalyptic open-world RPG. While Sony and some segments of the gaming community perceive striking similarities between the two titles, Tencent's recent court filing contends that these allegations are exaggerated and lack substantive merit.

Sony initiated the legal proceedings in July 2025, branding Light of Motiram as a "slavish clone" of the acclaimed Horizon series. The complaint argued that the core gameplay mechanics, environmental setting, thematic elements, and character designs were sufficiently analogous to those in Horizon: Zero Dawn and Forbidden West to potentially mislead consumers and allow Tencent to capitalize on the established popularity of Sony's intellectual property. In response, Tencent has asserted that Sony's arguments do not meet the necessary legal threshold to justify proceeding with a full trial.

In a court document submitted on September 17, Tencent petitioned the United States District Court for the Northern District of California to dismiss the case, stating that Sony's lawsuit "fails to allege facts sufficient to state a claim" against Light of Motiram. The motion characterizes Sony's allegations as "vague" and "undifferentiated," noting that they point to general similarities and reference Tencent's overall conduct rather than specifying which copyright-protected elements were allegedly infringed upon or how Polaris Quest would commercially benefit from such infringement. Although Light of Motiram has undergone descriptive modifications since the lawsuit's initiation—potentially to reduce comparisons to Horizon—Tencent argues these adjustments are typical in such disputes and do not substantiate Sony's case, which they claim relies "almost entirely on speculation regarding future conduct" rather than concrete evidence.

Tencent's dismissal motion further contends that the similarities between Light of Motiram and the Horizon series represent common tropes and mechanics prevalent throughout the video game industry. Specifically, it references titles such as Breath of the Wild, Far Cry: Primal, and Outer Wilds as examples sharing similar "genre ingredients." This defense strategy—arguing that similarities reflect broader genre conventions rather than specific intellectual property theft—is common in copyright cases and contributes to the complexity of such legal battles. Notably, Nintendo's September 2024 lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair for alleged copyright infringement remains ongoing after a year, illustrating the protracted and nuanced nature of these disputes. Determining the line between intellectual property borrowing and legitimate inspiration or use of common themes is rarely straightforward, making outcomes difficult to predict.

An intriguing aspect of this dispute is the revelation that Tencent had previously pitched an official Horizon game to Sony in March 2024, several months before announcing Light of Motiram. Sony's legal filings mention this rejected proposal, though it remains uncertain what impact, if any, this prior interaction will have on the case. As the lawsuit is still in its early stages, the complexity of copyright law means the path forward is unclear. Whether the court will grant Tencent's motion for dismissal or allow the case to proceed to further litigation is yet to be determined, leaving both companies and industry observers awaiting developments in this significant legal confrontation.

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