Tencent Accuses Sony of Attempting a “Monopoly on Genre Conventions” in Horizon Lawsuit Response
Tencent is defending its upcoming game, Light of Motiram, against a copyright lawsuit filed by Sony, arguing that Sony is attempting to claim ownership over common genre elements rather than protecting legitimate intellectual property. Sony initially sued Tencent in July, alleging Light of Motiram is a “slavish clone” of its Horizon franchise and seeking a jury trial for copyright and trademark infringement to prevent the game’s release. Sony accused Tencent of deliberately creating confusion between Light of Motiram and the Horizon series through promotional materials featuring a character similar to Horizon’s lead,Aloy.Following the lawsuit, Tencent made changes to Light of Motiram’s Steam page and promotional art.
In its response, as reported by The Game Post, Tencent contends that Light of Motiram utilizes “time-honored” tropes that fall outside of “Sony’s exclusive domain,” calling Sony’s copyright claims “startling.” Tencent’s lawyers stated that Sony’s legal action “is not aimed at fighting off piracy, plagiarism, or any genuine threat to intellectual property. It is an improper attempt to fence off a well-trodden corner of popular culture and declare it Sony’s exclusive domain.”
The company further argues that the premise of Horizon Zero Dawn itself was not original, citing comments made by the game’s art director, Jan-Bart Van Beek, in a documentary referencing 2013’s Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.
“Long before this lawsuit was filed, the developers of Horizon Zero Dawn publicly acknowledged that the very same game elements that, today, Sony claims to own exclusively, were in fact borrowed from an earlier game,” Tencent’s court papers assert. “Sony’s Complaint tellingly ignores these facts. Instead, it tries to transform ubiquitous genre ingredients into proprietary assets.”
Tencent also claims Sony is seeking “an impermissible monopoly on genre conventions” by suing over a game that employs tropes common to numerous titles, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Far Cry: Primal, Far Cry: New Dawn, Outer Wilds, and Biomutant.
Additionally, Tencent disputes Sony’s claims regarding a pitch for a Horizon mobile game at GDC in 2024, and argues that Sony is pursuing legal action against the incorrect companies, stating that none of the defendants served are developing or marketing Light of Motiram. The company also points out that the game is not yet released, with a planned release window of Q4 2027, and thus cannot be the subject of a lawsuit.
