Liquid Swords, developer of open-city crime sim Samson, has gone bankrupt following staff claims that they haven't been paid in two months

Liquid Swords, the developer of the open-city crime sim Samson, has filed for bankruptcy after their staff reported unpaid wages for over two months. The bankruptcy was officially declared on October 12, 2023, as reported by Breakit. Around 30 employees had been going without pay and were the ones who sought to have the company declared bankrupt.

Liquid Swords was founded by Christofer Sundberg in 2020, who previously co-founded Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios and co-directed its first game. Samson, their debut title, was an open city-crime sim with a unique run-based structure. The studio faced several challenges, including difficulty finding a publisher and having to lay off half its team last year due to funding troubles.

Despite releasing several patches to address technical issues since its April release, Samson received mixed reviews and failed to attract significant interest. Liquid Swords' administrator, Cirio Law, has put the studio and its assets up for sale, including the game itself, with bidding running until October 21. The bankruptcy will ensure the affected employees receive their unpaid salaries through the Swedish state wage guarantee.