The legal battle between Sony and Tencent has escalated as both companies clash over the upcoming game Light of Motiram. Sony previously filed a lawsuit, accusing Tencent’s title of being a blatant imitation of Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West. Now, Tencent has officially responded, dismissing the claims as an “unconscionable attempt to fence off pop culture already in the public domain.”

Tencent Pushes Back Against Sony’s Claims

In its statement, Tencent emphasized that the lawsuit targets several of its subsidiaries, plus other unrelated companies, over a game that has not even been released yet. They argue that Sony is exaggerating, attempting to monopolize features common to the open-world and post-apocalyptic genres.

Tencent pointed out that even Horizon’s developers once compared their own game to Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (2013), proving that such inspirations are hardly unique. They cited other titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Far Cry: Primal, Outer Wilds, and Biomutant as examples of games that used similar elements long before Horizon launched.

Sony’s Lawsuit Sparks Industry-Wide Debate

Sony originally filed the lawsuit in July, claiming that Light of Motiram could mislead players because of its visual similarities to Horizon’s world. Tencent, however, views this as overreach. They argue that Sony is attempting to privatize concepts and designs that have been staples of gaming for years.

What’s Next for Light of Motiram?

Though Tencent has made adjustments to the game’s promotional content—including changing Steam artwork and removing references such as “colossal machines”—the legal conflict shows no signs of slowing down. With Tencent’s fiery rebuttal now public, the standoff between these two gaming giants is set to continue, potentially shaping how copyright claims in the gaming industry are handled in the future.