Hey, wake up! There’s yet another knock-off on the scene that’s likely to stir up some legal drama soon. Tencent Games and its sub-brand, Polaris Quest, have just unveiled a game called Light of Motiram. While they claim it’s an original creation, it draws a suspicious amount of inspiration from PlayStation’s Horizon series. The twist? It’s an MMO exclusively launching on PC for now.
This announcement came out of the blue, accompanied by a detailed press release sourced via Gematsu. Trailers, screenshots, and even a Steam page loaded with information arrived at once. The game will also appear on the Epic Games Store, though we’ve yet to hear about any pricing or whether it’ll go free-to-play.
Interestingly, the developers of Palworld may find some solace, as Light of Motiram is likely to draw more eyes and scrutiny in the coming weeks, showcasing an undeniably clear imitation of an established intellectual property. It’s hard to see Sony sitting quietly by as Tencent steps over these creative boundaries, from the game’s general look to its creature designs—it definitely makes you do a double-take.
Check out the main teaser trailer below (there are even more videos to look out for):
[Watch on YouTube]
What’s amusing is that this reveal comes before PlayStation has officially spilled the beans on their own online-only Horizon title. If we’ve learned anything from Palworld’s initial success—which has been substantial enough to fuel its development for years—it’s that casual players often overlook similarities to other games as long as they enjoy what they’re playing. Should Polaris Quest nail the fun factor, it could spell challenges for Sony and Guerrilla Games’ online Horizon iteration. Legal skirmishes seem almost inevitable at this point.
Light of Motiram is banking on the proven success of survival and crafting gameplay while adopting a combat style akin to Monster Hunter’s cooperative mechanics. This seems a logical way to mirror Horizon’s mechanical battles for a multiplayer setting. I bet Guerrilla’s Horizon project is probably eyeing similar gameplay dynamics.
Take a look at this image from a battle scene—no, it’s not Horizon.
(Image credit: POLARIS QUEST)
It’s yet another hurdle for the Horizon series, which Sony seems committed to despite some lacking enthusiasm after each release’s initial buzz. Unfortunately, the franchise often finds itself up against more captivating games at its launch, and recent reports show the sales figures for the Lego Horizon Adventures were underwhelming on PC.
Even plans for a live-action Horizon series with Netflix have hit a snag. PlayStation Studios and Netflix have paused the project following concerns about showrunner Steve Blackman’s reportedly “toxic work environment.” Ouch.
