Tencent Quietly Changes Light of Motiram's Steam Page Assets Following Horizon Sony Lawsuit

Tencent has updated its Light of Motiram Steam leafage conscionable days aft Sony filed a suit alleging the upcoming crippled was a "slavish clone" of Horizon.

The complaint, filed successful a California tribunal astatine the extremity of July, outlined galore similarities, comparing assorted selling screenshots from some games, arsenic good arsenic their descriptions.

As we explained astatine the time, conscionable similar Horizon, Light of Motiram takes spot successful a post-apocalyptic satellite overrun by elephantine robot dinosaurs who roam large, earthy environments specified arsenic tropical forests, deserts, and snowy mountains. Both games adjacent diagnostic red-haired women protagonists that deterioration precise akin outfits and styles, and devices akin to Aloy's "Focus" earpiece.

Sony believes that these aren't accidental similarities, either. Per Sony's complaint, Tencent allegedly began processing Light of Motiram successful 2023, and approached Sony astatine the 2024 Game Developers Conference to inquire for a licensing woody to make its ain Horizon game. Sony turned Tencent down, but Tencent seemingly continued processing Light of Motiram anyway. Sony claims it approached Tencent informally to resoluteness the copyright quality erstwhile it became alert of the game, but erstwhile it did so, Tencent erstwhile again attempted to licence Horizon. Tencent past allegedly pressed guardant with the game's promotions and playtests.

The Game Post noted, however, that since the suit went public, Light of Motriam's Steam leafage has been softly updated, with a fig of screenshots and trailers removed, and the screen representation changed from the Aloy Alike representation you spot present to this little contentious image.

A examination betwixt the 2 games' selling imagery, arsenic shared successful Sony's complaint.

The statement has changed, too. Originally it read: "In a satellite overrun by colossal machines, research the immense unfastened world, physique your basal of operations, beforehand technology, bid Mechanimals, and instrumentality connected formidable bosses. Starting from the primitive age, forge a caller way of development. Defy the machination, past with mechanimals."

Now, however, it says: "Make astute usage of everything astir you to enactment live and look disconnected against formidable bosses, each measurement is fraught with information and requires courage. Only by overcoming the challenges of endurance tin you carve retired a spot for yourself successful this unforgiving land."

Interestingly, we tin besides spot that the "to beryllium announced" merchandise model has been updated to "Q4 2027."

Whether this is capable to fulfill Sony's lawyers remains to beryllium seen, not slightest due to the fact that respective uncanny similarities betwixt the 2 games remain. It was primitively suing for copyright and trademark infringement, arsenic good arsenic mendacious designation of origin, and sought costs and damages of up to $150,000 for each abstracted enactment successful which Horizon's copyright has been infringed. It besides demands Tencent destruct each infringing material.

IGN has asked some Tencent and Sony for comment.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.