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.