Sony and Tencent have reached a confidential settlement in their legal dispute over Light of Motiram. This has effectively ended the Chinese gaming giant’s plans to release the Horizon-inspired title. The game has been removed from both Steam and the Epic Games Store, and the case has been dismissed with prejudice, according to a recently filed court document.The resolution comes just months after Sony sued Tencent in July to block the release of Light of Motiram, which the Japanese company called a “slavish clone” of its popular Horizon series. While the terms of the settlement remain undisclosed, the game’s disappearance from major digital storefronts suggests a clear outcome in Sony’s favour.However, the Tencent game’s official website still lists links to Steam and the Epic Games Store, but clicking them reveals the game is no longer available. A SteamDB entry confirms the game “has been retired and is no longer available on the Steam store,” as spotted by users on the game’s official subreddit.The controversy began when Light of Motiram was announced last year. The game’s reveal trailer showed striking similarities to Sony’s Horizon franchise, featuring lush natural environments, advanced futuristic technology, and large animal-like robots as enemies. In its lawsuit, Sony specifically accused Tencent of creating a “rip-off” of Horizon protagonist Aloy and using this character as the focal point of the game’s marketing and promotional campaigns.The case represents a rare instance of a major gaming dispute being resolved so quickly, with the settlement and game’s removal occurring within months of the initial lawsuit.
What Tencent said about the game’s removal
In a statement to The Verge, Sean Durkin, head of communications for Tencent Americas, said: “SIE 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.”“Tencent’s unlawful copying of the protected audiovisual elements of the Horizon games, as well as its deliberate adoption of a confusingly similar character mark, constitutes both copyright and trademark infringement that should be enjoined immediately to prevent irreparable harm to [Sony Interactive Entertainment] and the consuming public,” Sony said while filing the lawsuit.
