Sony Escalates Legal Battle: Seeks Preliminary Injunction Against Tencent Over ‘Horizon’ Knockoff ‘Light of Motiram’

The high-stakes legal confrontation between gaming giants Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Tencent Holdings has reached a critical juncture. SIE has formally filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against Tencent, demanding that the Chinese technology conglomerate immediately cease pre-release promotions and the use of specific elements in its upcoming title, Light of Motiram, which Sony alleges is a “slavish clone” of its flagship franchise, Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West.

This aggressive legal maneuver follows Sony’s initial copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in late July 2025. The core of SIE’s argument is that Tencent’s game, developed by one of its subsidiaries, Polaris Quest/Aurora Studios, has overtly and pervasively copied “protected elements” of the Horizon franchise, creating a likelihood of consumer confusion and causing irreparable harm to the PlayStation brand and its valuable intellectual property (IP).

‘Aloy Lookalike’ and ‘Stolen Melody’: The Focus of the Injunction

The motion for preliminary injunction specifically targets several highly visible elements of Light of Motiram:

• The Protagonist: SIE seeks to bar Tencent from using the game’s central character—a “fierce tribal warrior huntress characterized by fiery red hair”—arguing that she is an unambiguous and deliberate lookalike of Horizon’s protagonist, Aloy, a character that has become a globally recognized symbol of the PlayStation ecosystem.
• Visual and Narrative Themes: The injunction aims to prevent the further use of visuals, storyline elements, and the distinct post-apocalyptic tribal-tech aesthetic that defines the Horizon series.
• Musical Infringement: The filing also includes a request to stop the use of a trailer melody in Light of Motiram that Sony claims is strikingly similar to two compositions from the Horizon Zero Dawn Original Soundtrack: the main theme and “City on the Mesa.”

Sony argues that this blatant copying is not accidental, citing internal documents that allegedly show Tencent previously approached SIE—and was rejected—for a licensing agreement to develop a Horizon-themed game. This, Sony claims, demonstrates a willful intent to trade off the established goodwill and reputation of the Aloy character mark.

Tencent’s Defense and the ‘Shell Game’ Accusation

In response to the original lawsuit, Tencent had filed a motion to dismiss, asserting that Light of Motiram merely utilizes “time-honored tropes embraced by scores of other games” and that Sony is attempting to claim “an impermissible monopoly on genre conventions.” They also pointed to the game’s substantially delayed release window—now pushed to Q4 2027—as evidence that no immediate threatened injury exists, a prerequisite for a preliminary injunction.

However, Sony dismissed this defense as “nonsense.” In its filing, SIE countered that the damage is done and continues, pointing to extensive media reports and countless gamer comments that immediately and loudly decried Light of Motiram as an obvious rip-off upon its announcement. Furthermore, Sony accused Tencent of playing a “shell game” by shifting responsibility between various subsidiaries to shield itself from liability while still using the powerful Tencent brand to market the allegedly infringing product.

Reviewing the Implications for the Global Video Game IP Landscape

This case, which has drawn comparisons to other recent high-profile video game IP disputes, is being closely monitored by the entire industry. The ruling will set a powerful precedent regarding the protection of distinctive visual styles, character identities, and overall aesthetic packages in the increasingly competitive open-world survival game market.

Sony’s pursuit of a preliminary injunction, rather than waiting for the full trial, underscores the perceived urgency and the gravity of the potential damage to the Horizon franchise. The outcome could force Tencent to significantly redesign key elements of Light of Motiram, potentially impacting its development timeline and global launch strategy.

The preliminary injunction hearing is currently scheduled to be heard by Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in late November 2025. Legal experts note that while the hurdle for granting an injunction is high—requiring SIE to demonstrate both a likelihood of success on the merits and a likelihood of irreparable harm—the volume of alleged direct copying, combined with the evidence of Tencent’s prior attempt to license the IP, presents a strong case for the PlayStation company.

The gaming community eagerly awaits the court’s decision, which will significantly shape the future of copyright enforcement in the multi-billion dollar global games market, especially concerning the growing trend of similar concepts emerging from major international publishers. The core question remains: Where does legitimate inspiration end and outright infringement begin?