Sony Dismisses Tencents Defense as Absurd in Light of Litigation over Light of Motiram

The legal dispute between **Sony** and **Tencent** regarding the similarities of the game Light of Motiram to the **Horizon** series has taken a new turn. **Sony’s** lawyers have dismissed the arguments put forth in defense of the Chinese corporation as «nonsense.» Additionally, documents presented to the court revealed that **Sony** was open to collaborating with **Tencent** on a project related to **The Last of Us**.

When **Sony** filed its lawsuit against **Tencent**, the latter attempted to distance itself from the development team behind Light of Motiram. They claimed that the team, **Polaris Quest**, belongs to a different organization. Furthermore, the defendants argued that the accusing side itself has something to hide, as **Horizon Zero Dawn** bears similarities to the 2013 game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

Now, representatives for **Sony** have asserted that **Tencent** is engaged in a «shell game,» aimed at confusing everyone regarding its subsidiaries and shedding responsibility. The plaintiffs noted that **Tencent’s** reports show no separation of divisions, and the storefront pages for **Light of Motiram** prominently display the name of the parent company. They also found **Tencent’s** lawyers’ assertions that the accusations are based on conjecture since the title has not yet been released to be unconvincing.

Additionally, **Sony** has included the testimony of **Olivier Courtemanche**, the head of mobile at **PlayStation Studios**. He indicated that in 2024, his team had discussions with **Tencent** and **Aurora Studios** during several conferences. At that time, the Chinese side proposed a concept dubbed Project Z, inspired by **Horizon** games. **Sony** turned this down, expressing no interest in licensing the franchise from **Guerrilla Games**. Conversely, **Tencent** insisted that its developers had invested significant effort into Project Z and were only interested in pursuing **Horizon**.

In July 2024, **Courtemanche’s** team traveled to Shenzhen to meet with **Tencent** and its studios, including **Aurora Studios**. The guests from **PlayStation Studios** believed the visit would focus on discussing potential collaboration related to The Last of Us, but in reality, the presentation revolved around Project Z featuring tribes and machines, which are hallmark elements of **Horizon**.

**Sony’s** lawyers are requesting that the court deny **Tencent’s** motion to dismiss the lawsuit. They also suggested that **Tencent** should amend its statement if there are unclear points for the court, and move directly to the evidence disclosure stage.