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Sony’s Lawsuit Against Tencent Over Light of Motiram: What Happened

Sony’s 2025 lawsuit alleged that Tencent’s Light of Motiram copied protected Horizon elements. The case was later settled confidentially and dismissed with prejudice, with no public finding on infringement.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Sony sued Tencent in July 2025, alleging that Light of Motiram copied protected elements of the Horizon games. The dispute is no longer pending: the companies reached a confidential settlement, and the case was reported dismissed with prejudice in December 2025. No public court finding established infringement, and the settlement terms were not disclosed.

What did Sony allege?

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) filed suit in federal court in California on July 25, 2025, asserting copyright and trademark claims related to Tencent’s Light of Motiram. Sony’s complaint and later court filings argued that promotional material and gameplay borrowed protected expression from Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Those are allegations by one party, not findings by a judge. Sony’s October 2025 motion described the disputed elements.

Similarities Sony identified

  • Character and branding: Sony said the game featured a red-haired female protagonist resembling Aloy and invoked the Aloy character mark and allegedly confusingly similar marks.
  • Machines and setting: Sony pointed to animal-like mechanical creatures in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
  • Tribal imagery and other expression: Sony also cited tribal groups and visual, narrative, and audio elements that it said echoed the Horizon franchise.

Sony further alleged that Tencent had previously sought a license for a Horizon game, which Sony declined. In its account, the proposed mobile game would have used Eastern aesthetics alongside survival, crafting, pet-taming, and multiplayer features. That account comes from Sony’s complaint as described in contemporaneous coverage; it is not an independently established account of Tencent’s intent. Game Developer’s July 2025 report summarized the filing.

What relief did Sony seek?

Sony sought injunctive relief and damages. In an October 16, 2025 motion, it asked the court for a preliminary injunction during the case. The requested restrictions covered reproducing, preparing derivative works, displaying, performing, or distributing works Sony said were copied from or derived from Horizon, as well as using the Aloy character mark or confusingly similar marks. A request for an injunction does not mean the court granted one.

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Sony’s complaint also sought statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work, as reported in 2025 coverage. That was a requested legal remedy, not an award or a finding that infringement occurred.

How did the lawsuit end?

Game Developer reported on December 18, 2025, that Sony and Tencent had reached a confidential settlement and that the case was dismissed with prejudice. A dismissal with prejudice ends the case and generally prevents the same claims from being brought again. The settlement’s terms were not public in the report, so the outcome does not establish that Tencent admitted wrongdoing or that Sony prevailed on the merits.

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Tencent Americas communications head Sean Durkin gave this statement, quoted by Game Developer from a statement to The Verge: “[Sony Interactive Entertainment] and Tencent are pleased to have reached a confidential resolution and will have no further public comment on this matter. SIE and Tencent look forward to working together in the future.”

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What is known about Light of Motiram’s release status?

The December 18, 2025 report said Light of Motiram was no longer listed on Steam or the Epic Games Store at that time, and described its future status as unknown. That does not establish that the game was canceled, permanently delisted, or changed as a settlement condition; the public account did not explain why the listings were gone or whether the game might appear elsewhere.

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Timeline

Date What happened
July 25, 2025 Sony filed its complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging copyright and trademark infringement and seeking injunctive relief and damages.
October 16, 2025 Sony filed a motion seeking a preliminary injunction. The filing stated Sony’s allegations and requested relief.
December 2025 The parties reached a confidential settlement; the case was reported dismissed with prejudice.
December 18, 2025 Game Developer reported that the game was no longer listed on Steam or Epic Games Store and that its future status was unknown.

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