Hey, wake up! There’s another copycat on the scene, and it’s bound to stir up some legal drama sooner or later. Tencent Games, along with their subsidiary Polaris Quest, has just unveiled “Light of Motiram,” which they claim is ‘legally distinct’ from PlayStation’s Horizon series. What’s the catch? This one is an MMO exclusively for PC, at least for now.
This announcement seemingly came out of nowhere, accompanied by a detailed press release (thanks to Gematsu), along with trailers, screenshots, and even a Steam page loaded with information. You’ll also find the game on the Epic Games Store, although they’ve kept mum on whether it will cost you or follow a free-to-play model.
For the folks over at Palworld, there’s a sigh of relief now. With “Light of Motiram” grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons, it seems to be setting itself up as another blatant copy of a popular IP. It’s difficult to picture Sony sitting idly by as Tencent steps on their toes, especially with the striking resemblances in both scenic and creature designs that might make anyone do a double-take.
The main teaser trailer is out now (more videos have been released as well). Check it out below:
And here’s the twist—this news has hit the streets even before PlayStation has officially lifted the curtain on their online-only Horizon game. It seems like the company is banking heavily on the live-service model, something that’s been giving execs plenty of sleepless nights. If Palworld has proved anything, it’s that casual gamers aren’t too fussed about a game mirroring someone else’s as long as it packs in fun. Should Polaris Quest dial in a stellar gameplay loop, PlayStation might face a challenge with their live-service Horizon efforts—a good reason to expect lawyers may soon be involved (yes, intentional pun there).
“Light of Motiram” is banking on a survival and crafting setup, a recipe that’s been cashing in lately. The combat seems to draw heavily from Monster Hunter, which makes sense if you want to reenact Horizon’s mechanical warfare in a co-op setting. I wouldn’t blame Guerrilla for eyeing a similar approach with their much-anticipated Horizon project.
This is just another hurdle for the Horizon series, which Sony appears to be betting big on as its next flagship, despite the buzz fizzling out shortly after each release. Consistently, Horizon has rolled out right alongside more captivating offerings, with the recent sales of Lego Horizon Adventures not quite hitting the high notes, at least on PC.
Even Netflix’s planned live-action Horizon series has hit a snag, with both PlayStation Studios and the streamer halting the project. It’s reportedly tied to showrunner Steve Blackman, known for Umbrella Academy, creating a less than ideal work atmosphere. Ouch.
