Battling Layoffs, GTA Comparisons, And The Industry's "Crap:" How Just Cause's Creator Is Risking It All

After years of development, and significant upheaval that led to half the development staff being laid off and a major change to the project, Liquid Swords is releasing its first game, the gritty crime game Samson: A Tyndalston Story, on April 8 for PC. The studio was founded in 2022 by Christofer Sundberg, the outspoken and opinionated co-creator of the Just Cause series at Avalanche who branched off to start a “zero-nonsense” studio in Liquid Swords.

As Sundberg sees it, modern, traditional game development has become overwhelmed by “distractions that affect quality and motivation,” and Samson coming to market this week will show off what a studio with that charter is capable of delivering.

GameSpot caught up with Sundberg this week to discuss his new game, the comparisons people are making to GTA, and its $25 price point. Sundberg also shared details on how Liquid Swords had to pull back the game’s scope and ambition as a result of the layoffs in 2025 that the team said were necessary to keep the studio afloat for the long term.

“It is really make-or-break for us with the release of Samson,” Sundberg said. “A year ago we made the tough decision to lay off half the team (not restructure, not reorganize) and the alternative had been to keep on going with the money we had and shut down the studio, unless more funding appeared. We all know that the games industry is in a really strange state right now, so we choose to survive, even though it hurts to lay off great developers.”

“If we screw this launch up, it’s on me and if (when) the game succeeds it’s the fantastic team here at Liquid Swords who’s behind that success. Even though I’m living with the knowledge that everything that we have invested might burn a few months from now, I’m enjoying every day at Liquid Swords.”

Samson releases on April 8 for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and the team tells GameSpot that it wants to release the game on console “eventually.” Liquid Swords developed and is publishing the game. There is a $30 Supporter Edition as well, and it comes with digital extras like wallpapers, the soundtrack, concept art, and a 3D printable version of Samson.

You play as Samson, a man who “learned violence before he learned mercy.” The game has a debt system where Samson must pay off mobsters after a heist goes badly, and his sister is being held for collateral. Players have a payment quota, and deadlines to meet, with the debt interest growing if missions are unsuccessful. Check out the launch trailer above to get a closer look.

For the impending launch of Samson, the stakes are sky high, for Liquid Swords and Sundberg, as he is financially tied to the game’s success. “I’ve made quite a big bet on Liquid Swords, both emotionally and financially and the success or failure of the game is only dependent on us now,” he said.

“We put everything we had on the table; time, money, team … everything. We refocused the game based on what we had and what was realistic and that meant a smaller, more AA experience, than the bombastic AAA game we were working on before that point,” he said. “It gave us more focus and really pushed us to think creatively and the end result is a more focused and different experience. So all in all, it means everything to us and me personally.”

Liquid Swords has been up front about what fans can expect from Samson at launch, and that is a smaller-scoped game than originally envisioned, with about 25 hours of gameplay and bugs and other oddities. The studio, as mentioned, enacted a round of mass layoffs, and Sundberg spoke candidly about the direct impact this had on the Samson gameplay experience.

“No AAA experience, no 100s of hours of play-time, bugs and glitches–that we are working hard on fixing–but also a hell-of-a ride as a 25-hour AA experience,” he said, adding that the game aspires to feel like a ’90s action movie.

Samson’s scope was pared back as its budget was reduced and layoffs were enacted–this forced the remaining staff to get “really creative” within specific parameters and constraints.

“It is a fun, challenging action experience and we are not promising more than that.” – Christofer Sundberg

“We decided to shelve some of the big features such as heavy-RPG systems, our version of base-building and deeper narrative,” he said. “What came out of that process is the Samson we have now: a focused, fast, hard-hitting action game which is truly straight to the point. It is a fun, challenging action experience and we are not promising more than that.”

Sundberg, in his traditional outspoken form, also shared his thoughts on the “quagmire” that he sees the video game industry facing today, coming out of a COVID-fueled ramp-up in budgets and staffing that has since cratered, leading to mass layoffs, game cancellations, and other challenging times for developers. The way out? It won’t be through “hugs or thinking happy thoughts,” Sundberg said.

“It requires looking at your business from a brutally honest perspective and working with what you have,” he said. “Games are progressing with innovation and creativity and if those are being blocked or down-prioritized, you will be stuck in the same old wheeltracks.”

He said he is sick of “swallowing all the crap that the industry feeds us,” and wants to make an effort to try something new. Even if it doesn’t work out and Samson is received poorly, Sundberg said he stands by what the team made and the reasons why the studio felt such a strong urge to make a new IP. “I can’t just sit and watch leaders of this business, just flushing it all down in the toilet. I’d rather go down screaming, than haven’t at least tried to get us back on track,” he said.

Samson may have originated with AAA ambitions, but the studio had to scale the project back and now sits within a AA description–though even those kinds of labels are murky these days. Whatever the case, Sundberg has observed that the big AAA games coming this year, and beyond, are predominantly publisher-backed or made in Asia where costs are lower. Samson is a self-published game, by contrast. The reasons why the American AAA games business is struggling are many and varied, but Sundberg said it has “nothing to do with lack of talent.” Instead, Sundberg pins the blame on a “lack of strategy and courage” from those who make the decisions, oftentimes in the pursuit of money.

“If publishers don’t sign any new games and only rely on remakes (and perhaps a sequel here and there), we won’t get anywhere,” he said.

Sundberg went on to say Liquid Swords is managing the chaos as best it can with “self-awareness, honesty, and creativity,” or at least that is the company’s ambition.

“We all know what’s at stake and that makes our life so much easier, because no one is coming, regardless of desperate screams for help,” he said. Sundberg added that he wishes people could see the developers in the halls of Liquid Swords’ offices. He said people would see a passionate group of developers striving to make something fun as a team. “You don’t see anyone crying for help, sulking, letting the potential dark future affect you. We enjoy working together and it’s fun going to work,” he said.

“Even though I’m living with the knowledge that everything that we have invested might burn a few months from now, I’m enjoying every day at Liquid Swords.” — Christofer Sundberg

Sundberg is clearly passionate about the games business; he’s been at it for decades, and has seen major success with the Just Cause series, and he knows it could all fall apart like a house of cards.

“Even though I’m living with the knowledge that everything that we have invested might burn a few months from now, I’m enjoying every day at Liquid Swords. I’m a positive fool and stick to the plan and I know there is a bright future ahead for us. We just have to do the work and be creative,” he said.

Sundberg is also realistic about how, if Samson is a success and it inspires other developers to take risks, that won’t solve the gaming industry’s many and serious problems. The same has been said about GTA 6; it’s a huge game that is expected to provide a nice jolt to game sales and attention due to the fever-pitch of unprecedented excitement, but the massive issues in gaming require further reflection.

“We can only do what is best for us and not suffer from the Jesus-syndrome, trying to solve all the industry’s problems,” he said. “I can only do what is best for Liquid Swords and our future players. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that players will like Samson and stick with us, building this from a pulp-fiction-type-of-game to a big franchise.”

These are just a few of the topics we covered, so be sure to check out the full chat to hear what Sundberg had to say. He doesn’t hold back.

GameSpot: First off, congrats on the launch tomorrow. It seems like a big moment. Your first game at the new studio after such a lengthy career at Avalanche. How are you and the team feeling right now with Samson coming out tomorrow after years of development?

Christofer Sundberg: Thank you! It is really a big moment and I made a promise to the team a year ago, when we were going through a tough phase, that we would release this game with or without a publisher. Now we’re here! So all in all, it feels great even though it’s really nerve-wracking. Most of the time at Avalanche we had a publisher backing us, and with Samson, it’s just been us and our fantastic go-to-market partner Caketown.

GameSpot: It’s been quite a road to get here, filled with ups and downs, no doubt. Getting a game out the door is an accomplishment unto itself under any circumstances and in any environment, but you’ve had further pressures with the decision to scale down staff some time ago. Having gone through that, can you talk about what it means to you to be here now?

Sundberg: It means a lot and it is really make or break for us with the release of Samson. A year ago we made the tough decision to lay off half the team (not restructure, not reorganize) and the alternative had been to keep on going with the money we had and shut down the studio, unless more funding appeared. We all know that the games industry is in a really strange state right now, so we choose to survive, even though it hurts to lay off great developers.

We put everything we had on the table; time, money, team … everything. We refocused the game based on what we had and what was realistic and that meant a smaller, more AA experience, than the bombastic AAA game we were working on before that point. It gave us more focus and really pushed us to think creatively and the end result is a more focused and different experience. So all in all, it means everything to us and me personally.

I’ve made quite a big bet on Liquid Swords, both emotionally and financially and the success or failure of the game is only dependent on us now. If we screw this launch up it’s on me and if (when) the game succeeds it’s the fantastic team here at Liquid Swords who’s behind that success.

GameSpot: You’re an opinionated guy who isn’t shy about speaking your mind. So what do you think is essential people know about Samson heading into launch?

Sundberg: I am opinionated because I have a hard time just swallowing all the crap that the industry feeds us and I can’t just sit and watch leaders of this business, just flushing it all down in the toilet. I’d rather go down screaming, than haven’t at least tried to get us back on track. I know it’s hard for a player to know exactly what is going on behind the walls of every developer and we’ve been very candid with what to expect of Samson. No AAA experience, no 100s of hours of playtime, bugs and glitches–that we are working hard on fixing–but also a hell-of-a ride as a 25 hours AA experience.

GameSpot: Liquid Swords is a smaller team, relatively, making what looks like a bigger game. I know you have said AAA is “by far from dead,” but success in the AAA market is harder and harder to find. Publishers playing it safe restricts creativity and innovation, I saw you say recently. So what is Samson doing with respect to giving players a novel and exciting experience?

Sundberg: The games business is a big quagmire right now. The AAA market is far from dead, but the AAA games coming out this year and in the future are either from publisher backed, or internal studios or from Asia, where the cost of development is much lower. It’s got nothing to do with lack of talent–it’s just the lack of strategy and some courage among those who are sitting on the power of the business.

“We decided to shelve some of the big features such as heavy-RPG systems, our version of base-building and deeper narrative.” — Christofer Sundberg on the cuts to Samson

A year ago, we scaled down the game in terms of ambition–and budget–but it also forced us to be really creative creating something with what we had. We decided to shelve some of the big features such as heavy-RPG systems, our version of base-building and deeper narrative. What came out of that process is the Samson we have now: a focused, fast, hard-hitting action game which is truly straight to the point. It is a fun challenging action experience and we are not promising more than that.

GameSpot: Walk me through the decision to launch at $25. Of course there is no set price point for any game in the market, but how did you land on this specific price point and is it emblematic of anything, like a shift in the marketplace or a means to cast a wider net to reach more people?

Sundberg: We made that decision quite early on in the ‘new phase’ of Samson. It’s a reflection of what you get for your money. You get 25 hours of playtime (10 hours of story included) in a fun brawler. It’s like a ’90s action movie. As I’ve said repeatedly; I would rather over-deliver at $25 than under-deliver at $70. The game will grow over time with more content, both free and paid and player get value for their $25.

GameSpot: People are connecting Samson to GTA, based on its setup and general vibes. I understand this isn’t a narrative that Liquid Swords is specifically saying but regardless, people are making those connections. What do you make of people connecting GTA and Samson?

Sundberg: They see a rough city, they see cars, they see a world of crime, they see violence–that’s GTA to many, but GTA is so much more than that. GTA is a phenomenon and one of the most important pillars in the world of entertainment, and we are very different from that and we’ve never pretended we were something we’re not. I also think one makes that connection, because of the games we’ve worked on in the past. It’s been a daily task for us to try to manage those expectations and be honest with our future players what they will get; 25 hours of action packed fun!

GameSpot: The video game industry is going through another period of change and upheaval today–in fact, it feels like the business environment is constantly changing. How is Liquid Swords managing this period of disruption?

Sundberg: Post-COVID was a big party in the industry and we are now dealing with a massive hangover that doesn’t go away despite how many electrolytes and coffee we consume. This will not disappear with hugs or thinking happy-thoughts. It requires looking at your business (regardless if you are a publisher or developer) from a brutally honest perspective and working with what you have. Games are progressing with innovation and creativity and if those are being blocked or down-prioritized, you will be stuck in the same old wheeltracks. If publishers don’t sign any new games and only rely on remakes (and perhaps a sequel here and there), we won’t get anywhere.

“We all know what’s at stake and that makes our life so much easier, because no one is coming, regardless of desperate screams for help.” — Christofer Sundberg

Liquid Swords are managing with a big self-awareness, honesty and creativity. We all know what’s at stake and that makes our life so much easier, because no one is coming, regardless of desperate screams for help. I wish some of the skeptical ones out there could spend a day here at the studio just listening to conversations and see the daily output, because it’s really amazing. Tomorrow, we are at the crossroads and everyone here knows that; still you don’t see anyone crying for help, sulking, letting the potential dark future affect you. We enjoy working together and it’s fun going to work.

GameSpot: I’d like to end by asking you what are some video game industry trends that keep you up at night, and what are some trends that make you excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Sundberg: I’ll start with what makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning and that is the team and the game. Even though I’m living with the knowledge that everything that we have invested might burn a few months from now, I’m enjoying every day at Liquid Swords. I’m a positive fool and stick to the plan (always) and I know there is a bright future ahead for us. We just have to do the work and be creative.

It’s not that much that keeps me sleepless. We can only do what is best for us and not suffer from the Jesus-syndrome, trying to solve all the industry’s problems. I can only do what is best for Liquid Swords and our future players. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that players will like Samson and stick with us, building this from a pulp-fiction-type-of-game to a big franchise.

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