Sony says it’s had enough: Tencent’s “Horizon copy” case includes corporate maneuvers to dodge accountability. The company asks the judge to dismiss Tencent’s defense and calls out a structure designed to shield Light of Motiram.

The Sony–Tencent legal fight rolls on. After reports that Tencent tried to pitch PlayStation on a The Last of Us project, fresh accusations are flying. It all kicked off when Tencent unveiled Light of Motiram, a title that looks a lot like the Horizon franchise. Sony then sued, citing a raft of suspicious similarities to the Aloy-led saga.

Sony wants a swift end

In a new 35-page filing obtained by The Game Post, Sony asks the court to reject Tencent’s motion to toss the case fully. The Japanese firm calls Tencent’s defense “nonsense,” arguing it spreads responsibility across subsidiaries — Aurora Studio, Level Infinite, Proxima Beta — to avoid liability. Sony’s view: the real decision-maker is Tencent Holdings.

According to Sony, the parent company registered the “Light of Motiram” trademark in the U.S., operates the game’s official website, and manages the Tencent Games brand. Therefore, Sony argues, it’s Tencent itself — not the subs — that intends to launch the game and capitalize on Horizon’s fame.

Sony maintains that infringement has already happened and is ongoing. Even though Tencent altered the Steam page and pushed the release to late 2027, that doesn’t erase prior conduct. Trailers and promo images remain on social platforms, so “the damage is done — and continues,” Sony says.

World, music, heroine: the “Horizon DNA”

In court, Sony alleges Light of Motiram lifts core elements of Horizon: a tribal-meets-tech world, very similar creatures, and music that’s too close for comfort. On the soundtrack, Sony claims Tencent hired a composer from Horizon Forbidden West to imitate the style. The filing also argues the protagonist reads as an Aloy lookalike.

Weeks ago, it surfaced that Tencent had proposed an Asia-set Horizon to Sony; PlayStation’s no didn’t stop Light of Motiram moving forward. On trademarks, Sony insists Aloy is both the lead character and brand icon for the series — and that Tencent used an “Aloy double” as the face of Light of Motiram on its site.

Sony further accuses Tencent of “corporate juggling” across its network to keep U.S. courts from tagging the parent company directly. Investor docs, Sony notes, show Tencent Holdings books game revenue and counts teams like Aurora Studios as its own.

Sony also points to Tencent America’s marketing role, plus a planned U.S. beta with Proxima Beta listed as publisher/distributor. The claim: Light of Motiram is built to court the American market. Tencent counters that the suit is premature — the game isn’t out.

If the judge wants more, Sony asks to jump straight to discovery — internal docs, emails, and exec testimony. That could set an important precedent on how far shared game elements can go before they’re considered trademark-infringing copies — a distant echo of Nintendo’s Palworld dispute (there involved patents).

Source: 3DJuegos