Liquid Swords, Developer of Samson, Has Filed for Bankruptcy

Swedish game studio Liquid Swords, developer of the action game Samson, has reportedly been declared bankrupt, leaving close to 30 employees without pay for months and a bankruptcy trustee now searching for a potential buyer of the studio’s assets.

Studio Goes Under Shortly After Launch

According to Eurogamer, the bankruptcy order is believed to have been issued on October 12th. The report, which cites Swedish outlet Break It, indicates that staff had not received salaries for several months prior to the filing. Sweden’s state wage guarantee is expected to cover those outstanding payments, offering at least some financial relief to affected workers.

Liquid Swords was founded in 2020 by Christofer Sundberg, who previously co-founded Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause series. The closure marks a difficult end for a studio that struggled throughout its short lifespan to find stable footing in a competitive market.

Samson Launched to Mixed Reception

Samson: A Tyndalston Story, the studio’s only released title, launched on PC on April 8th before arriving on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on September 21st. The game faced headwinds from the start, with Liquid Swords having difficulty securing a publisher during development. Upon release, player reviews were mixed, with common complaints centered on technical problems and performance issues across platforms.

Part of a Broader Wave of Studio Closures

The collapse of Liquid Swords adds another name to a growing list of studios hit hard in recent months. As Eurogamer notes, Xbox confirmed 268 additional layoffs on September 22nd and announced that Rare and World’s Edge would move under Activision oversight. That same day, Xbox also began consultation on a proposed closure of Ninja Theory after two separate acquisition or partnership agreements fell apart. Supermassive Games, known for the Dark Pictures Anthology series, also reportedly lost more than 70 staff earlier in October.

The bankruptcy trustee handling the Liquid Swords case is actively seeking a buyer, though no purchase offer has been publicly announced at this time.

Sources: Eurogamer