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Liquid Swords, the studio established by Avalanche Studios co-founder Christofer Sundberg, is reportedly facing bankruptcy. Following the commercial failure of its debut title, Samson, the developer is currently in a precarious financial position, with approximately 30 employees allegedly having gone unpaid for at least two months.
Samson, an open-world crime game, underwent significant development changes, shifting from an action RPG after failing to secure a publisher. The title launched on PC earlier this year, followed by PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions in September. Despite these efforts, the game struggled to gain traction and is widely regarded as a major disappointment.
Critics and players have expressed dissatisfaction, citing technical issues and unfavorable comparisons to Grand Theft Auto. The game holds a 51/100 score on Metacritic and 'varied' reviews on Steam. Sundberg previously acknowledged the launch state as 'unacceptable,' noting severe performance bugs that persisted despite subsequent patches.
Employees have reportedly requested that the company be declared bankrupt. The team's administrator has placed the studio and its intellectual property up for sale, with the deadline for offers set for October 21.
