Tencent Updates Light of Motiram’s Steam Assets: Sony Lawsuit Sparks Major Changes!

Tencent recently made several updates to the Steam page for its upcoming game, Light of Motiram, shortly after Sony initiated legal action against it, claiming the game was essentially a copycat of its Horizon series.

The lawsuit, which was lodged in a California courtroom at the end of July, highlighted a series of resemblances by showcasing various promotional materials and descriptions from both games.

As previously described, Light of Motiram is set in a post-apocalyptic setting dominated by massive robotic dinosaurs, similar to Horizon. These creatures wander through expansive natural landscapes including jungles, deserts, and icy mountains. Both games also center on red-haired female protagonists donning strikingly similar apparel and accessories, including a device akin to Aloy’s “Focus” earpiece from Horizon.

Sony argues these similarities are not coincidental. According to the lawsuit, Tencent started the development of Light of Motiram in 2023 and even approached Sony during the 2024 Game Developers Conference seeking a license to develop a Horizon-based game. After Sony refused, Tencent apparently proceeded with its project. Sony later attempted to informally settle the copyright dispute once it noticed the game’s development but claims Tencent tried again to secure a Horizon license during these discussions. Despite these interactions, Tencent continued with its game promotion and testing phases.

The Game Post reported that since the legal dispute became public, significant changes were made to the Steam page of Light of Motiram. This includes the removal of several screenshots and trailers, and the main game image was switched from one that closely resembled Aloy to a less controversial one.

The game’s description on Steam also saw revisions. Originally, it stated: “In a world overrun by colossal machines, explore the vast open world, build your base of operations, advance technology, train Mechanimals, and take on formidable bosses. Starting from the primitive age, forge a new path of development. Defy the machination, survive with mechanimals.” It 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.”

It is also noted that the game’s release timeframe has been updated from “to be announced” to “Q4 2027.”

Whether these amendments will be sufficient to appease Sony’s legal team is yet to be determined, especially since the core similarities that led to the lawsuit still persist. Sony’s original legal action sought damages and costs potentially amounting to $150,000 for each work infringing on Horizon’s copyright, trademark infringement, false designation of origin, and demanded the destruction of all infringing materials.