In a growing legal dispute between two gaming giants, Sony has filed a lawsuit against Tencent, accusing the mega-corporation of lifting ideas, art style, character design, and thematic elements from the Horizon franchise for their upcoming game Light of Mortiram. Sony further claims that Tencent intentionally used misleading marketing tactics to make players believe Light of Motiram was connected to Horizon, confusing consumers and damaging the integrity of their IP.
Although Tencent has yet to issue a public statement, their actions may speak louder than their words. The company has quietly updated Light of Motiram’s store page, removing several screenshots and key descriptors that drew immediate comparisons to Horizon. Assets pulled from the page reportedly included:
- Screenshots of the protagonist
- Environmental imagery resembling Horizon’s iconic visual style
- Images of robotic, animal-like enemies
- Mentions of tribal societies resisting mechanized creatures
More notably, Tencent has altered the game’s description, steering it away from the original narrative. The initial text described a “primitive age overrun by colossal machines,” where players battle “Mechanimals.” The revised description now reads:
“Make smart use of everything around you to stay alive and face off against formidable bosses. Every step is fraught with danger and requires courage. Only by overcoming the challenges of survival can you carve out a place for yourself in this unforgiving land.”
The changes seem designed to shift attention toward survival mechanics and away from story elements that mirror Sony’s franchise. However, the sudden edits and content removal appear more like a scramble to mitigate legal risk than a genuine creative redirection.
From an optics standpoint, Tencent’s silent backpedaling raises eyebrows. While legal cases like this can be complicated, public perception often hinges on transparency, or lack thereof. If Sony’s claims are accurate, it’s likely they’ve already archived all incriminating material, making Tencent’s late-stage edits more performative than preventative.
Whether the courts side with Sony remains to be seen, but Tencent’s apparent attempt to quietly erase the past is unlikely to go unnoticed, or unchallenged.
