Tencent's new rip-off of Horizon Zero Dawn is so obvious that even the former president of Blizzard has spoken out

An upcoming Tencent game is drawing ire because it looks so similar to Horizon Zero Dawn. Former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra even mentioned it on Twitter, writing about the game’s announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen – Tencent.”

Light of Motiram is a “mechanical” multiplayer open-world survival crafting game that many have pointed out looks incredibly similar to the Horizon series. It is scheduled to appear on PC and consoles in 2025, the same year we expect the Horizon MMO, which is already in the works.

Like Horizon, Light of Motiram features a bow-wielding red-headed protagonist in seemingly Native American-inspired clothing. The game is about rebuilding human civilization in “a lush world dominated by mechanical beasts.”

One of the promotional images for Light of Motiram has a composition that is almost indistinguishable from one of Horizon. In both cases, the protagonists on the left of the picture stand under a tree and look out over a valley full of giant robots. Snow-covered mountains can be seen in the distance – even the sun shines from the same direction. The Light of Motiram image has a slightly higher angle and is closer to the protagonist, but at first glance these images look very similar.

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A bow-wielding red-haired woman in what appears to be Native American-inspired clothing stands under a tree on the left side of the screen, overlooking a valley full of robot dinosaurs and snow-capped mountains in the background. The sun shines diagonally from left to right — (Image credit: Polaris Quest)

I contacted the game’s PR agency but there was no comment at the time of publication.

However, there are some key differences between the two games. According to a press release and as seen in a gameplay video, Light of Motiram is more of a survival game. It features a building system with “realistic physics simulation, where every beam or brick is subject to physics and the forces of nature.”

A cross between Ark: Survival Evolved and Horizon Zero Dawn is honestly a very solid elevator pitch for a game and is very reminiscent of Palworld, which features Pokémon-like creatures but with survival mechanics. However, Palworld is currently dealing with a lawsuit from Nintendo.

If you’re a fan of the genre, check this out best survival games Can you play now?