Tencent’s Latest Game Faces Allegations of Copying Guerrilla’s Horizon Series

Light of Motiram, Tencent’s latest gaming creation, is stirring up quite the buzz online—and not necessarily in a good way. Accusations are flying from gamers who believe the game unabashedly borrows elements from Guerrilla Games’ celebrated Horizon series. It’s not uncommon for new titles to draw inspiration from those that blaze a trail, but Light of Motiram may have crossed a line by pushing those boundaries a bit too far.

Even though it’s a relatively new kid on the block, the Horizon series has quickly climbed the ranks to become a standout among PlayStation’s award-winning lineups. When Horizon Zero Dawn first hit the shelves, it captivated players with its stunning, yet dangerous, post-apocalyptic world filled with mechanical beasts. The game was a massive hit, racking up over 24 million copies sold and kickstarting an incredibly successful franchise. Just last year, Guerrilla shared that they’re knee-deep in the development of 16 different Horizon-related projects.

Horizon carves out a distinct niche with its setting, so any game that borrows from it sticks out like a sore thumb. Enter Light of Motiram, a fresh face in the gaming world, revealed not too long ago. The brainchild of Tencent’s subsidiary, Polaris Quest, its Steam page paints it as an open-world adventure where “human civilization has ceased to exist” and “nature meets machine.” This teaser alone hints heavily at Horizon’s shadow looming over Motiram. But as players dig deeper, the resemblance becomes even harder to ignore.

When you glance at the imagery from Light of Motiram, the likeness to Horizon is undeniable. The game boasts lavish greenery, mechanical fauna, and settlements that feel like echoes from the Horizon series. One can’t help but notice a redheaded female character skilled with a bow, which closely mirrors Aloy, the star of Horizon. The game’s robotic creatures, or “Mechanimals,” can even be tamed, echoing Horizon’s machine override feature. But to set itself apart, Motiram introduces multiplayer co-op for up to nine players and base-building mechanics, providing some distinction.

Despite these differences, the game hasn’t escaped criticism for what many see as overly liberal ‘borrowing’ from Horizon. There’s been chatter about whether Guerrilla Games and Sony might take Tencent to court over potential intellectual property infringement. Such a scenario isn’t unheard of; for instance, Nintendo recently took action against Pocket Pair, the brains behind Palworld, for similar reasons. Light of Motiram is slated for a 2025 release on PC and mobile, although this could be subject to change if Sony and Guerrilla decide enough is enough.