Hey there! Wake up because we’ve got another issue brewing in the gaming industry that’s sure to attract some legal fireworks. Tencent Games, along with their partner Polaris Quest, just announced a new game called Light of Motiram which they claim is ‘legally distinct’ from the popular Horizon series by PlayStation. But here’s the kicker: it’s an MMO, and it’s debuting exclusively on PC, at least for now.
This announcement seemed to come out of the blue, arriving with a detailed press release (thanks to the folks over at Gematsu), and was packed with trailers, screenshots, and even a Steam page loaded with info. Additionally, it’s slated to hit the Epic Games Store, although details about the pricing or whether it will adopt a free-to-play model are still under wraps.
I bet the developers of Palworld are breathing a little easier seeing this, as it looks like Light of Motiram might grab more of the spotlight in the weeks to come—mainly because it looks suspiciously like an existing intellectual property. It’s hard to see a scenario where Sony doesn’t get a bit antsy and start lining up their lawyers. The game’s visuals and creature designs definitely prompted a double (if not triple) take from me—they’re really treading on risky territory here.
You can catch a glimpse of the main teaser trailer below, and there’s no shortage of other videos to check out:
The amusing part about this drop is that it beats PlayStation to the punch, as they have yet to officially unveil their own Horizon title focusing on online gameplay—apparently their big play in the live-service field, which has been quite the chaotic endeavor for them. If we have learned anything from Palworld’s initial triumph—and let’s be honest, it was enough to keep development humming along—it’s that casual gamers aren’t too bothered if a game bears resemblance to others, as long as it delivers on fun. If Polaris Quest has indeed nailed an enjoyable gameplay loop, PlayStation could have another reason to sweat over potential legal clashes, no pun intended.
Light of Motiram is gearing up to capitalize on the oh-so-popular survival and crafting trend, a blueprint that’s been quite the money-spinner lately. The combat? It seems to draw inspiration from Monster Hunter, which isn’t surprising. If you’re going to adapt Horizon’s epic machine battles into co-op play, that’s the way to do it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Guerrilla has a similar strategy in mind for their upcoming Horizon project.
Caption: No, this is not Horizon. (Image credit: POLARIS QUEST)
Yet, it seems Horizon’s path is paved with bumps. Despite Sony’s apparent confidence that the franchise is their golden goose, each release hits the market with levels of excitement that don’t seem to sustain beyond the initial weeks. New launches for the series have consistently found themselves up against more intriguing or newsmaking releases. Moreover, the recent sales figures for Lego Horizon Adventures on PC didn’t exactly paint a rosy picture.
As if that weren’t enough, plans for a live-action Horizon series with Netflix have stalled too. PlayStation Studios and the streaming giant have put the project on ice, especially after reports that showrunner Steve Blackman (of Umbrella Academy fame) had allegedly created a "toxic work environment." Definitely not a good look.
And there you have it—the latest shake-up in the gaming world. What’s next? We’ll just have to wait and see.
