Palworld is to Pokémon as Light of Motiram is to PlayStation’s Horizon: The Similarities are Striking

Hey, good morning! Guess what? We’ve got another copycat game hitting the scene, and this one’s likely to stir up some legal drama pretty soon. Tencent Games and its branch, Polaris Quest, have just revealed their latest project, Light of Motiram—a game that’s supposedly a “unique” twist on PlayStation’s acclaimed Horizon series. Here’s the kicker: it’s an MMO targeting PC players first.

The announcement came out of the blue, complete with a detailed press release (thanks to Gematsu), eye-catching trailers, and screenshots, not to mention a packed Steam page. The game’s also set to launch on the Epic Games Store. What they haven’t shared yet, however, is how much it’ll cost or if it’s going the free-to-play route.

For the developers behind Palworld, this might be a bit of a breather as all eyes are likely to turn to Light of Motiram in the coming weeks. The game doesn’t shy away from heavily borrowing from established intellectual property, and it’s almost certain Sony won’t take this lying down. Everything from its visual style to creature designs screams "inspiration" from Horizon, leaving little to the imagination.

The main teaser trailer is now up for everyone to see (there are more videos if you’re curious):

The timing of this announcement is amusing, given that PlayStation hasn’t officially rolled out details for their own online-only Horizon game. It’s evident that there is a big push towards live-service models, despite the associated headaches. Following in Palworld’s footsteps, it’s clear that many gamers prioritize fun over originality. If Polaris Quest has nailed an engaging gameplay loop, then Sony and Guerrilla might have some real competition on their hands. Hence, a legal showdown seems almost inevitable.

Light of Motiram plans to delve into the lucrative survival and crafting genre but with combat resembling that of Monster Hunter. It’s a matched approach for adapting Horizon’s machine battles into a multiplayer setting. Honestly, Guerrilla’s own Horizon project, which has been in the works for quite some time, may also be heading in this direction.

This is just another hurdle for the Horizon franchise. Sony appears to be doubling down on it as one of their flagship offerings, yet the series struggles to sustain excitement beyond its initial launch period. It often finds itself competing with more enticing games, and even Lego Horizon Adventures didn’t make much of a splash on PC in terms of launch sales.

Adding to the hurdles, the live-action Horizon series on Netflix has hit a snag. The project is on pause as PlayStation Studios and Netflix have reportedly shelved it for now, following allegations of a "toxic work environment" linked to showrunner Steve Blackman of Umbrella Academy fame. Ouch.