We noted, when Light of Motiram was first unveiled in late 2024, that it looked a lot like Horizon: Zero Dawn—to the point that we also wondered whether it might earn the ire of Sony. It took the better part of a year, but sure enough, Sony eventually filed a lawsuit against Tencent, parent of Motiram studio Polaris Quest, calling the game a “slavish clone” of the hit Horizon games.
Tencent is a powerhouse and I’m sure it has at least a few lawyers on speed dial, but it’s starting to look like it don’t want Sony’s smoke. As noticed by The Game Post, the Light of Motiram page on Steam has been dramatically updated over the past several days with new text and screenshots that make it look a whole lot less Horizon-like.
“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,” the Light of Motiram Steam page originally said (via the Internet Archive). “Starting from the primitive age, forge a new path of development. Defy the machination, survive with mechanimals.”
Now, however, it sounds much more like a conventional survival game: “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.”
Similar changes have occurred further down the page. A section that previously described the game as taking place in “a mechanimal-ruled open world,” where players will “discover unique Mechanimals and mysterious ruins in different regions, gradually uncovering the secrets of Motiram,” has been removed completely. A reference to Light of Motiram’s “mechanical wilderness” has also been edited to say simply “wilderness.”
The announcement trailer that was present on the Steam page has also been removed, and is gone from the Light of Motiram YouTube page along with several other videos. The Light of Motiram icon on YouTube has also changed. Instead of this:
It’s now this:
Here’s the original 2024 reveal trailer, if you’re curious:
Back on the Steam page, screenshots have also been changed up. A few from the original listing remain, but instead of leading with Horizon-like images of warriors wielding spears and bows in battles against giant machine dinosaurs:
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The focus is now on idyllic shots of fantasy farm life:
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All previously extant updates about the game have been removed from the Steam page, as have numerous animated images showcasing bits of combat against different sorts of mechanical creatures. Speaking of which, all references to “mechanimals”—a term used no fewer than eight times in the original Steam listing—are now gone.
One other big change: The key art. This image of maybe not legally distinct Aloy:
Has been replaced by Robo-Piglet and a Furby. Don’t let Sony catch you calling them mechanimals.
You can dive into more details in the “history” section of the Light of Motiram page on SteamDB, but the bottom line is that this is a very thorough housecleaning, and I can’t imagine Tencent would go to all that trouble without some serious motivation—like, for instance, a looming lawsuit it had no hope of winning.
One other point of note: Light of Motiram was set to come out in late 2025, but the Steam page now indicates it’s coming in Q4 2027—more than two years down the road, and three years after it was first revealed. That’s a big pushback, and makes me think it’s not just the Steam page that’s being significantly reworked.
I’ve reached out to Tencent for comment on the change and will update if I receive a reply.
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