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The legal dispute between Sony and Tencent over accusations of copying the Horizon series has officially come to an end after both parties reached an out-of-court settlement that resulted in the dismissal of the case and the withdrawal of Light of Motiram from major digital platforms.
The case dates back to August 2025 when Sony filed a lawsuit against Tencent, accusing it of copying core elements of the Horizon series in Light of Motiram, and during the past months the case witnessed several developments, including repeated postponements of hearings with the agreement of both parties before things headed towards a settlement.
According to a report published by The Game Post, new court documents showed that Sony and Tencent made a joint request to the court to drop the case on the condition of reaching a settlement agreement between them, and the case was permanently dismissed, which means it cannot be refiled in the future, and all pending legal requests were withdrawn with each party bearing its own legal costs.
Due to the confidential nature of the settlement, the exact terms and details of the agreement were not disclosed, but one of the most prominent indicators of the results of this settlement is the removal of Light of Motiram from all major digital stores, suggesting that the removal of the game was part of the agreement between the two parties.
Sony called the game a blatant copycat and deemed Tencent’s defense unreasonable, while Tencent repeatedly argued that fame does not a trademark make, in an attempt to deny the allegations of intellectual property infringement.
In an earlier development prior to the settlement, Tencent agreed to stop promoting the game, suspend public playtests, and pledge not to advance the release date. With the game now removed from stores, the fate of Light of Motiram remains unclear as to whether it will return with a modified version or be canceled altogether.
The settlement comes at a time when Sony is working to expand the Horizon universe, as previous reports have confirmed that Horizon Steel Frontiers is not the only multiplayer project associated with the series.
This closes one of the most prominent legal cases in the gaming industry over the past two years, leaving the door open to questions about its impact on future Tencent projects and how major companies will deal with issues of inspiration and imitation in the years to come.
