Samson Developer Liquid Swords Files for Bankruptcy

Another studio has closed its doors in the gaming industry. The Swedish company Liquid Swords, known for developing the crime simulator Samson, has been declared bankrupt. The decision was made on 12 October after nearly 30 employees filed a lawsuit due to unpaid wages. ## A Difficult Path to Success Liquid Swords was founded in 2020 by Christofer Sundberg, who was previously known for co-founding Avalanche Studios and working on the Just Cause series. The company’s debut project, Samson, was originally conceived as a large-scale action RPG, but funding issues and rejections from publishers forced a drastic change in concept. Last year, the studio laid off half its staff to overcome a financial crisis. As a result, the game was reworked into a run-based crime simulator where the player takes on the role of a getaway driver. ## Post-Release Struggles Released in April, Samson received mixed reviews from critics. The game was frequently criticised for technical flaws and comparisons to Grand Theft Auto, which were arguably unfair to the project. Although the team worked until the last moment to fix bugs—even releasing an update on 8 October—it could not save the studio’s financial situation. ## The Future of the Company The studio is currently being managed by an administrator from Cirio Law, who has decided to put Liquid Swords and its assets, including Samson itself, up for sale. The auction will continue until 21 October. As for the employees, in accordance with Swedish law, their salaries will be covered by the state guarantee fund. This case highlights the ongoing instability in the gaming industry, where potentially interesting ideas often fall victim to financial crises.