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Tencent Wanted to Make The Last of Us Game After Sony Rejected Horizon Project, New Filing Reveals

A new court filing in Sony’s lawsuit against Tencent reveals that Tencent pitched a Last of Us game after Sony rejected its earlier Horizon project.

thegamepost.com

A few months later, in July 2024, Courtemanche and his team traveled to Shenzhen, China, to meet Tencent and its game studios, including Aurora Studios. According to him, Sony entered the meeting believing Aurora wanted to discuss a potential collaboration deal for The Last of Us. Instead, the presentation took a completely different turn.

"With respect to Aurora Studios, we went into the meeting under the impression that they wanted to do a potential collaboration for The Last of Us," Courtemanche said. During Aurora's presentation, a slide appeared showing "with images resembling a potential Horizon collaboration from the 'Project Z' concept discussed in March 2024."

"I recall the slide featured a female character with costume design resembling Horizon's mix of tribal clothing and metal armor, and a robot/animal hybrid resembling a Horizon robotic animal. Now that I have reviewed the promotional materials released for Light of Motiram, I believe that these images contained assets from the Light of Motiram game. I was confused by the slide given that we had rejected a potential Horizon collaboration and thought we were there to discuss The Last of Us, among other opportunities.

 

[Punished Miku]

No wonder they got sued.

 

[Astray]

This is how not to do business 101:

>Convince Sony that you are after a TLOU collab (there must have been some form of correspondence between the two companies prior to the meeting that led them to think so).
>Sony comes in, discovers you actually want to discuss the Horizon collab that they already rejected.
>Sony disapproves of the Horizon collab again.
>You go ahead and copy everything anyways.

Complete boneheadedness for no real reason.

No wonder they got sued.

This is complete amateur hour from Tencent imo.

 

[Gaiff]

So, they were interested in a TLOU collab, but not an Horizon one?

My question is, why is Sony so hellbent on milking TLOU? Between the TV series and 5 re-releases, you'd think they would be interested in expanding their other IPs more. If I'm not mistaken, the Horizon movie or TV series was scrapped. It could have been cool to see the IP again without Aloy to ruin it.

Well, I guess they did try with Call of the Mountain and Lego Horizon.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

The real news here is that Sony was open to discuss TLOU collab with Tencent. It doesn't make any sense.

 

[adamsapple]

The real news here is that Sony was open to discuss TLOU collab with Tencent. It doesn't make any sense.

Possibly to have something quick and dirty out to capitalize on the mobile market by the time of the shows second season.

 

[midnightAI]

The real news here is that Sony was open to discuss TLOU collab with Tencent. It doesn't make any sense.

Well, we don't know what that collab could have entailed, could have been anything but to them it could have made perfect sense, but it never got any further so we may never know (it may have even been as maintainers for the GAAS, something ND can't/wont do? or it could have been a mobile game? who knows)

 

[bitbydeath]

or it could have been a mobile game? who knows)

From the link:

As part of the opposition filing, Sony included a declaration (seen by The Game Post) from Olivier Courtemanche, Head of Mobile at PlayStation Studios

 

[midnightAI]

From the link:

ok, cool, so mobile game then, makes sense to me? games like CoD Mobile and PUBG mobile by Tencent are incredibly popular and I'm sure a TLoU mobile game could have been the same (I'm presuming it too would have been more multiplayer focused)

 

[Felessan]

So, they were interested in a TLOU collab, but not an Horizon one?

Sony probably wants Horizon themselves and not share lots of revenue
It's easier and more straightforward (and there is already projects on the way) than TLOU
And Tencent also doesn't see much in live service TLOU and much prefer Horizon over it as having bigger potential that is easier to realize

 

[Magic Carpet]

Sony probably wants Horizon themselves and not share lots of revenue
It's easier and more straightforward (and there is already projects on the way) than TLOU
And Tencent also doesn't see much in live service TLOU and much prefer Horizon over it as having bigger potential that is easier to realize

I bought a Tallneck Lego sets.
Good luck marketing a TLOU lego set to me. Maybe I could build something then destroy it with a golf club.

 

[nowhat]

I bought a Tallneck Lego sets.

It's a cool set, have one. Actually, it was missing a single piece. Nothing major, more cosmetic (one of the blades in the neck - as a matter of fact, to be more game-authentic, it should have missed a few of those) - still, just a few clicks on the web site and they sent the replacement free of charge.

 

[Sticks]

 

[BennyBlanco]

>Convince Sony that you are after a TLOU collab (there must have been some form of correspondence between the two companies

 

[L*][*N*K]

This is how not to do business 101:

>Convince Sony that you are after a TLOU collab (there must have been some form of correspondence between the two companies prior to the meeting that led them to think so).
>Sony comes in, discovers you actually want to discuss the Horizon collab that they already rejected.
>Sony disapproves of the Horizon collab again.
>You go ahead and copy everything anyways.

Complete boneheadedness for no real reason.


This is complete amateur hour from Tencent imo.

why don't you write this into a screenplay, I am sure Sony would love to adapt it into their Spider-Man spinoff movies franchise

 

[Astray]

why don't you write this into a screenplay, I am sure Sony would love to adapt it into their Spider-Man spinoff movies franchise

Which one hurt you the most: Ken Kutaragi, Shuhei Yoshida or Jim Ryan?

I'll write a script about the one you choose.

 

[FoxMcChief]

I just asked ChatGPT to write a script to be in line with other AAA PS5 exclusive:

Absolutely — here's a AAA-caliber PS5 exclusive pitch that would fit right in with Sony's lineup while feeling fresh and ambitious:

Title: Eclipse: Shattered Realms

Genre:
Third-person action RPG (single-player focus, narrative-driven with optional co-op)

Tone & Style:
Think God of War (2018) meets Ghost of Tsushima meets Control — cinematic storytelling, mythic atmosphere, fluid combat, and next-gen spectacle.

Premise

Centuries after humanity fractured reality itself in a failed attempt to control time, the world is divided into overlapping "Shattered Realms" — echoes of different possible timelines bleeding into one another. You play as Kael, a "Realmwalker" who can move between realities, altering events and facing the consequences across timelines.


When a mysterious cosmic eclipse begins merging the Realms into one chaotic world, Kael must decide which timeline — and which version of humanity — deserves to survive.


Core Gameplay Features

Adaptive Combat System

• Seamlessly blends melee, ranged, and time-bending abilities.
• Players can "phase" between Realms mid-fight to gain advantages — e.g., in one Realm an enemy wields fire, but in another they are weakened by ice.
• Parry, dodge, and realm-shift are all tied into a dynamic stamina system inspired by Sekiro's posture and God of War's timing-based combat.

Dual-Realm Exploration

• Each environment exists in multiple forms — ancient ruins in one Realm may be a thriving city in another.
• PS5's SSD allows instant transitions between versions of the same space.
• Puzzles and traversal rely on shifting Realms — like flipping between timelines to manipulate structures or avoid hazards.

Choice-Driven Narrative

• Decisions made in one Realm affect others (characters live/die, cities rise/fall, ecosystems change).
• Dialogue and story outcomes reflect your chosen "Reality Alignment" (Preserver, Destroyer, or Weaver).
• The game has three interconnected endings, each changing the fate of all Realms.

Technical Showpiece (PS5 Exclusivity Justification)

• DualSense: adaptive triggers for Realm tension, haptic feedback for time shifts.
• 3D Audio: distinct ambient cues per Realm — hear one reality fading as another emerges.
• Instant SSD Loading: no loading screens between Realms, creating a seamless multidimensional world.
• Cinematic Fidelity: in-house engine or Decima-like visuals with real-time ray tracing and procedural weather effects.

Tone & Inspirations

• Visual tone: Blade Runner 2049 meets Elden Ring — mythic yet futuristic decay.
• Narrative inspiration: The Witcher 3, Control, NieR: Automata — existential, choice-driven, philosophical sci-fi.
• Music: sweeping orchestral + haunting synth motifs (composer like Bear McCreary or Austin Wintory).

Tagline:

"Every choice reshapes reality. Which world will you let survive?"

 

[Killer8]

Get Tencent to finish Factions.

I'm a business genius.

 

[Bkdk]

Won't play it because it would be a live service, however, it will certainly be a much better game than being done by the current trash naughty dog.

 

[mayham2199]

The real news here is that Sony was open to discuss TLOU collab with Tencent. It doesn't make any sense.

Tencent is a huge company in China a market Sony wants to use to expand their audience. I see no reason not to discuss it with them. Even if you know your answer will be no before you even get there.

 

[adamsapple]

I just asked ChatGPT to write a script to be in line with other AAA PS5 exclusive:

Absolutely — here's a AAA-caliber PS5 exclusive pitch that would fit right in with Sony's lineup while feeling fresh and ambitious:

Title: Eclipse: Shattered Realms

Genre:
Third-person action RPG (single-player focus, narrative-driven with optional co-op)

Tone & Style:
Think God of War (2018) meets Ghost of Tsushima meets Control — cinematic storytelling, mythic atmosphere, fluid combat, and next-gen spectacle.

Premise

Centuries after humanity fractured reality itself in a failed attempt to control time, the world is divided into overlapping "Shattered Realms" — echoes of different possible timelines bleeding into one another. You play as Kael, a "Realmwalker" who can move between realities, altering events and facing the consequences across timelines.


When a mysterious cosmic eclipse begins merging the Realms into one chaotic world, Kael must decide which timeline — and which version of humanity — deserves to survive.


Core Gameplay Features

Adaptive Combat System

• Seamlessly blends melee, ranged, and time-bending abilities.
• Players can "phase" between Realms mid-fight to gain advantages — e.g., in one Realm an enemy wields fire, but in another they are weakened by ice.
• Parry, dodge, and realm-shift are all tied into a dynamic stamina system inspired by Sekiro's posture and God of War's timing-based combat.

Dual-Realm Exploration

• Each environment exists in multiple forms — ancient ruins in one Realm may be a thriving city in another.
• PS5's SSD allows instant transitions between versions of the same space.
• Puzzles and traversal rely on shifting Realms — like flipping between timelines to manipulate structures or avoid hazards.

Choice-Driven Narrative

• Decisions made in one Realm affect others (characters live/die, cities rise/fall, ecosystems change).
• Dialogue and story outcomes reflect your chosen "Reality Alignment" (Preserver, Destroyer, or Weaver).
• The game has three interconnected endings, each changing the fate of all Realms.

Technical Showpiece (PS5 Exclusivity Justification)

• DualSense: adaptive triggers for Realm tension, haptic feedback for time shifts.
• 3D Audio: distinct ambient cues per Realm — hear one reality fading as another emerges.
• Instant SSD Loading: no loading screens between Realms, creating a seamless multidimensional world.
• Cinematic Fidelity: in-house engine or Decima-like visuals with real-time ray tracing and procedural weather effects.

Tone & Inspirations

• Visual tone: Blade Runner 2049 meets Elden Ring — mythic yet futuristic decay.
• Narrative inspiration: The Witcher 3, Control, NieR: Automata — existential, choice-driven, philosophical sci-fi.
• Music: sweeping orchestral + haunting synth motifs (composer like Bear McCreary or Austin Wintory).

Tagline:

"Every choice reshapes reality. Which world will you let survive?"

Bro this reads like an actual Sony Blog entry, lol.

 

[FoxMcChief]

Bro this reads like an actual Sony Blog entry, lol.

I just followed up and asked what the gender was for the main character, lol

Excellent question — and one that's actually central to the game's narrative flexibility.

Here's how I'd approach it for Eclipse: Shattered Realms:

Main Character: Kael (Player-Defined Gender)

• Default Canon Version (for marketing & cinematic trailers):
  Kael Varyn, female, early 30s, mixed heritage, stoic but emotionally layered — portrayed by a high-caliber motion capture actor (think Danielle Bisutti from God of War or Faye Kingslee from Cyberpunk 2077).
  • Visual inspiration: A warrior-scholar look — light armor fused with relic tech, scars that faintly glow when shifting Realms.
  • Personality: Rational yet compassionate, haunted by the memory of choices made across timelines.
• Player Choice Option (in-game):
  Players can choose Kael's gender and appearance at the start — male, female, or androgynous — but the voice acting, animation quality, and emotional depth remain identical.
  • Sony exclusives like Demon's Souls and Horizon Forbidden West show how customization can coexist with cinematic storytelling.
  • Pronouns and dialogue adjust dynamically without losing the narrative's intensity.

Narrative Relevance

The idea of identity across Realms ties directly into the gender choice:

• In one Realm, Kael may see alternate versions of themselves — male, female, older, younger — reflecting the consequences of different life paths.
• This allows the story to explore identity, fate, and selfhood in a meaningful, non-tokenized way.

So while the marketing "face" of Eclipse might feature a female Kael (strong cinematic presence, aligning with Sony's tradition of standout female leads like Aloy and Ellie), the player's version is gender-flexible and canonically valid across all timelines.


Would you like me to outline how that gender choice could affect the storyline and alternate-Realm interactions (for example, how certain NPCs or versions of Kael respond differently)?