The legal drama between Sony and Tencent over Light of Motiram has officially ended, and the outcome is exactly what everyone expected. The companies reached a confidential settlement that resulted in the game being delisted from both Steam and the Epic Games Store. If you try searching for it now, you’ll find nothing but 404 errors and redirects back to the homepage.
For those who missed the controversy, Light of Motiram was announced back in November 2024, and gamers immediately noticed something familiar. The post-apocalyptic world filled with robotic creatures, the lush environments, and especially that red-haired protagonist? Yeah, the similarities to Horizon Zero Dawn were impossible to ignore. Fans weren’t shy about calling it a “shameless clone,” and honestly, they had a point.
The legal showdown
Sony filed the lawsuit in July 2025, accusing Tencent of copying major elements from the Horizon series. We’re talking world design, character aesthetics, and overall presentation. The lawsuit specifically highlighted how the art styles, enemy designs, and gameplay mechanics felt lifted straight from Guerrilla Games’ beloved franchise.
Tencent didn’t just roll over, though. They pushed back hard, calling Sony’s lawsuit an attempt to fence off common genre elements and claiming they were just using standard survival game tropes. They even started scrubbing their Steam page, removing the most obvious Horizon-looking screenshots and character images. Classic damage control move.
The settlement nobody saw coming, except everyone
Just when things were heating up for a January 2026 showdown, both companies filed to dismiss the case. The lawsuit was closed with prejudice, meaning it can’t be refiled, and both sides will cover their own legal costs. The settlement terms? Completely confidential. But let’s be real, the fact that Light of Motiram disappeared from stores tells us everything we need to know about who won this battle.
Tencent’s head of communication confirmed they’re “pleased to have reached a confidential resolution” and that both companies “look forward to working together in the future.” Translation: Tencent probably realized they weren’t going to win this one in court.
What happens now?
The game’s official website is technically still up, but don’t expect it to stick around much longer. Whether Light of Motiram will resurface in a heavily modified form or if Tencent is scrapping the whole project remains a mystery. For now, it’s just gone.
If you were looking forward to a Horizon-style multiplayer experience, don’t worry. NCSoft is developing Horizon Steel Frontiers, and Guerrilla Games has their own multiplayer Horizon game in the works. At least those won’t land you in court.
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