On July twenty fifth, Sony filed a lawsuit in opposition to Chinese language large Tencent, claiming copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competitors. Why, you would possibly ask? Effectively, it’s all due to what Sony known as a “shameless” clone of Horizon Zero Daybreak being printed by Tencent known as Mild of Motiram.
Let’s again up and get some context right here. In accordance with Sony’s authorized paperwork, again in 2024 Tencent approached Sony with a proposed collaboration for a Horizon cell recreation. Sony declined, and Tencent subsequently introduced Mild of Motiram as an impartial recreation not tied to the Horizon collection. The issue is, it positive appears rather a lot prefer it’s tied to the Horizon collection.
The lawsuit claims not solely normal thematic and design similarities—together with a red-haired, tribal protagonist harking back to Horizon’s Aloy and post-apocalyptic landscapes stuffed with robotic creatures—but additionally accuses Tencent of imitating the Horizon music by hiring a composer from Horizon Forbidden West. The criticism additionally alleges deceptive advertising techniques by Tencent, suggesting a direct connection between the 2 franchises the place none exists. Sony particularly factors to the primary character trying like Aloy, which Sony says is getting used to make potential clients assume Mild of Motiram is a part of Horizon.
And…properly, yeah. While you have a look at the trailer for Mild of Motiram, there actually is a heavy Horizon vibe. Among the robotic dinosaurs look so just like what Aloy has battled that, at a look, I might simply confuse them with one thing out of Horizon Zero Daybreak or Forbidden West. Players instantly observed the plain similarities, posting feedback that known as out Tencent for copying Sony’s homework. As one consumer mentioned, “Wtf? They even copied the grass…”
With that mentioned, it’s truthful to say that the trailer did present components that weren’t ripped straight out of Horizon. Not many, positive, however a couple of.
Sony is searching for the same old financial damages (some sources cite $150,000 per piece of labor infringed) and can be trying to get the discharge of Mild of Motiram stopped fully. Ought to Sony be success, the entire damages would probably be within the double-digit hundreds of thousands.
As all the time, I’m no authorized knowledgeable so I do not know who will come out on high on this lawsuit. However I’ll say that Tencent’s recreation does seem like a somewhat blatant ripoff of Horizon.
