Samson maker Liquid Swords declared bankrupt after months of unpaid wages

Liquid Swords, the Swedish studio behind Samson, has been declared bankrupt after months in which its developers went unpaid.

Around 30 employees are affected, with the Swedish state expected to cover owed wages. Bankruptcy is a court-led process for dealing with debts a company cannot pay.

The development was reported on 18 October by Video Games Chronicle, citing Swedish outlet Break It. Staff have not been paid since August 2026, according to Kotaku. That points to more than two months without wages.

Liquid Swords now hopes to find a buyer from within the bankruptcy proceedings. A buyer in that position would typically acquire the studio name, game rights or equipment through the court. No buyer has been announced.

That hope over wages refers to Sweden's wage guarantee. The system allows the state to pay salary owed when an employer cannot. It does not settle the future of the studio itself.

Liquid Swords was co-founded in 2020 by Christofer Sundberg. Sundberg previously co-founded Avalanche Studios and was creative director on Just Cause, the action series known for large maps and stunt-driven play. He had led Avalanche for more than a decade before leaving to start the new studio.

Samson was the studio's debut. It is an open-world action game, built around exploring a large map on foot and in vehicles with combat missions. Liquid Swords acted as both developer and publisher, so it both made the game and paid for its release.

Self-publishing gives a studio control over launch and revenue. It also leaves it carrying the costs.

It was released for PC in April on Steam and the Epic Games Store, the two main PC shopfronts where players buy and download games. Reception was mixed, with criticism focused on bugs. A console release followed in September.

The studio had already cut staff before launch. It announced a round of layoffs in February 2025, well before the PC release announced for April and the console release that followed in September.

What makes this stand out is the short gap between launch and collapse. The PC release came in April. Bankruptcy followed about six months later. For a small team self-publishing its first game, there is little cushion if that launch does not hold. Thirty roles is a small team by modern release standards, and the effect is felt quickly.