Looks Like Someone Spilled the IP Potion: Tencent's 'Light of Motiram' Gets a Stealth Makeover Post-Lawsuit
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Tencent's suspiciously Horizon-esque game, 'Light of Motiram,' has undergone a silent Steam page overhaul – art, descriptions, gone – just days after Sony hit them with a copyright lawsuit, leaving us all wondering if they thought we wouldn't notice.
Right, so you know that feeling when you try to cast a minor illusion spell, but it accidentally turns into a full-blown reality bend? That’s kind of the vibe I'm getting from Tencent these past few days. Their upcoming game, 'Light of Motiram,' has been quietly doing a digital disappearing act on its Steam page, and mate, it’s a story wilder than it first appeared.
Now, for anyone who hasn't been living under a particularly remote rock, 'Light of Motiram' by Tencent’s Polaris Quest studio popped up on our radars late last year. It’s a post-apocalyptic open-world survival crafting game. Sounds grand, doesn't it? Except… the mechanised animal-like creatures, the whole aesthetic, the general vibe – it all bore a resemblance to PlayStation's Horizon series that was, shall we say, remarkably *unsubtle*. Like, if Horizon was your cousin, 'Light of Motiram' was its identical twin who dyes its hair a slightly different shade of blue and hopes nobody notices.
And apparently, Sony definitely noticed.
Fast-forward to July, and Sony announced they were suing Tencent. The claim? Allegedly ripping off the Horizon franchise. And here’s where it gets proper juicy, a real digital drama. Sony is claiming that Tencent actually *asked* for permission to license the Horizon IP, and when Sony said 'nah, not today, chief,' Tencent allegedly just… went ahead anyway. With what Sony is hilariously, yet pointedly, calling a 'slavish clone.'
Bloody hell. You’ve got to admire the sheer audacity, or maybe just scratch your head at the thinking, on that one. It’s like asking your neighbour if you can borrow their prize-winning garden gnome, they say no, and then you just build an exact replica in your own garden anyway, assuming they won't mind. They always mind, mate. Always.
Now, Tencent hasn't exactly been chatting openly about this lawsuit, have they? Public statements? Nah, not a peep. But what they *have* been doing is a spot of digital tidying, which, thanks to the eagle-eyed wizards over at SteamDB, hasn't gone unnoticed. This isn't just a spring clean; it's a full-on digital exorcism of anything that might even whisper 'Horizon.'
The 'Light of Motiram' Steam page has been undergoing a quiet, almost ninja-like, transformation. Screenshots? Gone. Trailers? Poof. The main cover image, which used to feature an 'Aloy Alike' character that was so similar it made you blink twice, has been swapped out for something entirely different. Even the promotional images splashed across the Steam store have been given the old bait-and-switch. (Massive kudos to The Game Post for spotting these specific image swaps, by the way, along with Eurogamer for breaking this down.)
But wait, there's more! (Because of course there is, this is gaming news, it’s never simple). Even the game's description has had a rather convenient linguistic makeover.
It used to read like a checklist for Horizon-esque adventure: "In a world overrun by colossal machines, explore the vast open world, build your base of operations, advance technology, train Mechanimals, and take on formidable bosses. Starting from the primitive age, forge a new path of development. Defy the machination, survive with mechanimals."
Sounds familiar, right? Mechanimals? Primitive age? Colossal machines? It practically hums the Horizon theme tune.
But if you pop over to the Steam page today, that verbose description has been replaced with something far more… generic. "Make smart use of everything around you to stay alive and face off against formidable bosses, every step is fraught with danger and requires courage. Only by overcoming the challenges of survival can you carve out a place for yourself in this unforgiving land."
Notice anything missing? Like, say, any mention of 'machines' or 'mechanimals'? It’s gone from a blueprint to a vague motivational poster, stripping away anything that might remotely raise an eyebrow in a courtroom. It's a textbook case of damage control, but done with the subtlety of a cat trying to sneak into a fish market – you know what they're up to, even if they're trying to be quiet about it.
Now, what does this all mean for us, the actual players? Well, for one, it highlights the increasing importance of intellectual property in the gaming world. Large companies are clearly ready to defend their creations, especially when they’re as lucrative as the Horizon franchise (and with a film adaptation on the way, its profile is only going to grow). For another, it raises questions about the line between inspiration and outright imitation. Where does one end and the other begin? And who gets to draw that line?
It also makes you wonder about the future of 'Light of Motiram.' Will it even see the light of day now, or will it be stuck in legal limbo? Tencent's quiet revisions suggest they know they're in a tricky spot. It’s a fascinating, if slightly chaotic, insight into the backroom dealings of the gaming industry. Always remember, mate, when something changes quietly, there's usually a very loud reason behind it, even if no one's shouting about it publicly. Keep those digital tea leaves brewing, because this saga is far from over.
*** *Original reporting by Vikki Blake for Eurogamer. Find the original article at
Tags: Gaming News, Copyright, Game Development, Tencent, Horizon Zero Dawn
Original article: Eurogamer