Sony and Tencent quietly settled the Horizon lookalike fight — what this means for gamers

What changed – and why it matters right now

Sony and Tencent have quietly closed the book on their California courtroom fight over Light of Motiram: court filings show the action was dismissed with prejudice after a confidential settlement, and product pages for the game vanished from Steam and the Epic Games Store. For players it means the Horizon-adjacent title is effectively off the public grid for now. For developers, it’s a sharp reminder that “inspired by” can quickly become “too close.”

• Sony and Tencent reached a confidential settlement; the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
• Light of Motiram pages were removed from major PC storefronts and public testing was paused.
• The settlement’s terms are secret – redesign, takedown, payment, or licensing are all possible.
• This case raises practical red flags for studios making “Horizon-like” games and for platform submissions.

Why this caught my attention

This caught my attention because it’s rare to see two industry giants – a platform/IP owner and one of the world’s biggest publishers — quietly collapse a public dispute into a confidential settlement. Sony’s Horizon franchise is a marquee asset, and Tencent has the clout (and pockets) to fight or settle. That combination usually ends in a private fix rather than a public precedent-setting trial, which matters for both creative freedom and how studios handle IP risk going forward.

Breaking down what happened

The basics are straightforward: Sony sued in mid-2025 alleging Light of Motiram copied protectable elements of the Horizon games — everything from robot fauna silhouettes to UI cues and marketing tone, according to reporting around the complaint. Tencent temporarily paused public testing and promotion while the dispute progressed. In December 2025 the parties told the court they’d resolved the dispute and asked for the case to be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the same claims can’t be refiled in that court. Both companies say they’ll make no further public comment.

What “dismissed with prejudice” actually means for players

Dismissal with prejudice closes this legal path, but it doesn’t tell us what the settlement contains. Common outcomes in similar cases include forced redesigns, temporary or permanent takedowns, monetary payments, or licensing deals. Because the settlement is confidential, gamers won’t see the details unless either company volunteers them — which they’ve said they won’t. Practically: no storefront page, no public beta builds, and no clear roadmap for a return.

The real implications for devs and indie studios

If you’re making an open-world action RPG, the headline is blunt: don’t lean so hard on a rival’s visual language that consumers (or a litigious rights holder) might confuse the two. That covers art direction, enemy silhouettes, UI layouts, and even the tone and phrasing used on store pages. Document provenance—versions, timestamps, concept art chains—and get legal eyes on any assets that could be seen as derivative before you open a public test.

• Redesign early, not after a complaint lands; fans’ comparisons can trigger legal attention.
• Keep airtight version control and provenance documentation for all creative assets.
• Run IP clearance on trailers, screenshots, and store metadata before submission.

What players who signed up should do

If you registered for testing, expect messages from the storefront or publisher about refunds or cancellations. If you already downloaded a test build, be cautious about redistribution—the legal landscape is murky and settlements sometimes include broad NDAs. Your safest move is to wait for official word from the publisher or platform.

What to watch next

• Return of storefront pages with changed art, name, or marketing — signals a redesign-and-relaunch.
• New ratings from ESRB/PEGI/CERO — suggests plans to resubmit for release.
• Any hiring or dev-blogs from the studio hinting at a pivot rather than cancellation.
• Sony’s Horizon MMO remains in active development — expect PlayStation to be protective of that brand going forward.

TL;DR: Sony and Tencent quietly settled the Horizon lookalike dispute and pulled Light of Motiram from storefronts. The dismissal with prejudice ends this litigation path but keeps the settlement terms secret. For gamers: no public builds for now. For developers: treat resemblance to major IPs as a real legal risk, not just a stylistic critique.