Title: Sony Blasts Tencent’s Legal Defense in Horizon Clone Lawsuit as “Nonsense”
In a dramatic escalation of the gaming industry’s latest intellectual property battle, Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a scathing response to Tencent’s motion to dismiss their copyright infringement lawsuit over Light of Motiram, directly labeling the Chinese tech giant’s legal arguments as “nonsense.” The lawsuit, which Sony initially filed after Tencent’s controversial game reveal showed striking similarities to Guerrilla Games’ Horizon franchise, has now entered a critical phase with both companies trading legal blows.
The Core Legal Conflict
Sony’s latest court filing, first obtained by The Game Post, systematically dismantles Tencent’s defense strategy point by point. The Japanese entertainment giant specifically targets Tencent’s claim that the lawsuit is premature because Light of Motiram has been delayed until 2027 following the legal action. “This is nonsense,” Sony’s legal team wrote. “The damage is done, and it continues.”
The filing emphasizes that despite public outcry and Sony’s objections, Tencent continued promoting what Sony describes as an “infringing game” that has already caused the very harm cited in the copyright suit. This legal confrontation comes amid broader industry shifts, including TSMC’s accelerated US chip technology roadmap that could impact future gaming hardware development.
Corporate Structure Controversy
One of the most contentious aspects of the lawsuit involves Tencent’s corporate structure. Sony accuses Tencent of “playing a shell game with its brands and entities” to avoid liability. According to Sony’s filing, Tencent Holdings—the parent company—should be the proper defendant because it owns the Light of Motiram IP, holds the US trademark, and controls the official website.
“Tencent Holdings describes its own business as having a Games division that ‘own[s] Aurora Studios’ – the Light of Motiram development studio,” the filing states. Sony argues that Tencent Holdings reports all gaming revenue and debt in its annual reports without attributing them to subsidiaries, and uses the Tencent name exclusively when advertising games like Light of Motiram.
Character Infringement Allegations
Sony’s legal team has intensified its focus on the character similarity between Tencent’s protagonist and Horizon’s iconic heroine Aloy. The filing describes the red-haired “lookalike” as “so egregious that numerous journalists and Horizon fans noted the striking similarities between the ALOY Character Mark and Tencent’s use of the Aloy lookalike.”
The company quotes one journalist who stated that Tencent’s character “resembles Aloy to a tee, red hair and all,” and another who commented, “If someone told me this is a spin-off of [Horizon], I would easily believe them.” Sony maintains that Aloy has become a symbol of the PlayStation brand, making the similarity a trademark infringement issue beyond mere copyright concerns.
Broader Industry Implications
This legal battle occurs during a period of significant technological transformation across multiple sectors. As gaming companies navigate these copyright waters, other tech giants are making strategic moves, including Microsoft’s new approach to securing AI agents and Peacock and Apple TV’s streaming bundle announcement that could influence game streaming services.
Sony is now pushing the court to reject Tencent’s dismissal motion and proceed directly to the discovery phase, where they hope to uncover internal documents that could prove intentional copyright infringement. The outcome of this case is expected to set important precedents for how gaming companies handle intellectual property protection in an era where game mechanics, character designs, and visual styles frequently cross international boundaries.
What Comes Next
As the legal proceedings advance, industry observers are watching closely to see how the court will rule on Sony’s request to move forward with discovery. The decision could force Tencent to reveal internal development documents and communications about Light of Motiram‘s creation process, potentially providing crucial evidence about whether the similarities to Horizon were intentional.
Regardless of the outcome, this case represents a significant test of how effectively major gaming companies can protect their intellectual property in global markets, particularly when dealing with corporations as large and complex as Tencent. The resolution could influence how similar cases are handled for years to come, potentially changing how developers approach inspiration versus imitation in game design.
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