Liquid Swords CEO confirms studio closure following bankruptcy proceedings

Update, October 20, 2026: Liquid Swords CEO Christofer Sundberg has confirmed the closure of the studio after filing for bankruptcy.

Sharing the news on LinkedIn, Sundberg said "market conditions and some bad business decisions brought us here" and that the release of its debut title Samson "wasn't enough to get the company across the finish line."

"I can look honestly at what went wrong and still be proud of what we built," he said. "We're also in discussions with all parties involved in Liquid Swords about how we can continue to support Samson the way the game deserves. There's nothing to announce on that yet, but it's something we're working to resolve."

"It's been a hell of a ride and a lot of fun, even when the circumstances gave us very little to laugh about. Building a studio, creating Samson and releasing it on PC and consoles took an enormous amount of work from people who cared deeply about what we were making."

Sundberg added: "To everyone who worked at Liquid Swords, our partners and everyone who supported us and played Samson: thank you. You gave us plenty of reasons to keep fighting, and the work we did together deserves to be remembered for more than how the company ended."

As for what the future holds, Sundberg said that he'll "be back at it again soon" with plans for a new studio.

"It will be built with the current market in mind, with a solid foundation and business decisions that give the games and the people making them room to succeed. The lessons from Liquid Swords will be part of how I build it. I still love making games."

Original story, October 19, 2026: Samson developer Liquid Swords has filed for bankruptcy after employees reportedly went unpaid for two months.

The studio's administrator, Swedish law firm Cirio, published a preliminary bidding document for potential buyers last week.

According to business site Breakit (via Game Talk), employees petitioned for bankruptcy after not receiving pay for two months. Their salaries will be covered by the Swedish state wage guarantee.

Earlier reports from Breakit stated that Liquid Swords faced "an acute liquidity shortage," with founder Christofer Sundberg commenting, "I don't think it can be resolved."

All 27 employees are being dismissed as part of the bankruptcy. Cirio stated that their contracts "do not transfer with the business, and a takeover of staff requires that a buyer enter into new employment contracts with each employee."

The preliminary bidding document stated that Liquid Swords' assets for sale "consist of intellectual property rights attributable to Samson," its debut title launched in April, "and the Company's other intellectual property, together with related development assets, equipment and inventory used in the Company's operations."

The bidding window will conclude on October 21, 2026.

Samson's unit sales and revenue were also included in the document. As of October 14, 2026, the game sold 151,900 copies, generating SEK 24.1 million ($2.4 million) in revenue.

Avalanche co-founder Sundberg founded Liquid Swords in 2020. In 2022, NetEase acquired an undisclosed minority stake in the company.

Last February, Liquid Swords reduced its workforce for "the studio's long-term sustainability." The company did not specify how many employees were affected.