Sony Seeks Injunction Against Tencent’s Alleged Horizon Knockoff

Sony has asked a federal judge to bar Tencent from using multiple elements of Light of Motiram, a game that it claims infringes on its Horizon series copyright. The company wants its preliminary injunction request against the alleged Horizon knockoff to be heard before the end of 2025.

Social media users have been accusing Light of Motiram of copying Horizon since the former’s November 2024 announcement. Sony appears to agree with the sentiment, having eventually sued Tencent for both trademark and copyright infringement. The complaint was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in late July 2025. Tencent filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit two months later, arguing that Light of Motiram merely follows “time-honored tropes,” much like Horizon does.

Sony Requests Preliminary Injunction Against Light of Motiram

The Japanese gaming giant responded to its Chinese rival’s motion with a preliminary injunction request, submitted on October 15. Sony is asking Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley to force Tencent to redesign Light of Motiram‘s protagonist, a flame-haired tribal huntress that it argues can be mistaken for Horizon‘s Alloy. The preliminary injunction request is also targeting a trailer melody alleged to be too similar to two tracks from the Horizon Zero Dawn OST: a Joris de Man song called “City on the Mesa” and the game’s main theme.

The filing further seeks to force Tencent from using select story and visual elements in Light of Motiram. Sony argues that the combination of animal-like machines, vibrant “post-post-apocalyptic” scenery, and tribes is a strong indicator of the game being a knockoff. “SIE invested years and [redacted 9-figure sum] to express each element in a unique and creative way,” the October 15 motion reads. “Rather than doing the same, Tencent copied.” The core of this argument was already established in Sony’s original complaint against Light of Motiram.

Sony Wants Preliminary Injunction Hearing in November 2025

Sony requested a November 20 hearing date for its injunction request. Judge Corley could grant the hearing, postpone it, or deny it altogether. Games Fray’s IP analyst Florian Mueller suggests a preliminary injunction may not be realistic at this point, not least because Light of Motiram is still in active development, so the extent of its prospective infringements, if any, is impossible to deduce since the game itself isn’t yet set in stone.

Tencent has already made some limited changes to Light of Motiram‘s promotional materials following the copyright infringement lawsuit. This is standard practice for legal clashes of this sort and doesn’t constitute an admission of guilt, but merely a precaution that limits potential damages, sets the stage for a settlement, or both. Tencent’s attorneys are expected to argue against Sony’s preliminary injunction request in the coming weeks, possibly as early as late October 2025.

Source: Games Fray