Liquid Swords Declared Bankrupt, Staff Covered by Wage Guarantee

Liquid Swords, a Stockholm studio that launched its first game Samson in 2026, was declared bankrupt by the Stockholm District Court on October 12, 2026. The ruling leaves roughly 30 staff members under Sweden’s state wage guarantee, which will pay their salaries while the company’s assets—primarily the intellectual property of Samson—are offered for sale to a new owner.

Background of Liquid Swords

Founded in 2020 by Christofer Sundberg, who previously co‑founded Avalanche Studios and served as creative director on the Just Cause series, Liquid Swords released Samson: A Tyndalston Story on Steam and the Epic Games Store on April 8, 2026. The open‑world action title received mixed reviews, with critics pointing to a high number of bugs. Sundberg later said the team had released a game with flaws for a number of reasons, and the studio has since issued patches, a content update in May, and a console release in September.

The court appointed trustee Karl Björlin is managing the sale process. Interested buyers must submit indicative bids in writing by 12:00 Swedish time (10:00 UTC) on October 21, 2026. The sale documents outline that the estate’s assets are mainly the Samson intellectual property, and no buyer has yet been named.

Under the wage guarantee, Liquid Swords employees receive earned wages up to three months before the bankruptcy petition, wages earned between the petition and the court ruling, salary for the first month after the ruling, and up to five saved vacation days from the previous year. Payments are capped at four price‑base amounts and cover a maximum of eight months of wages.

With the studio under trustee control, no new updates for Samson have been announced. The future of the game depends on the outcome of the sale, and potential buyers will decide whether to continue supporting the title.