Liquid Swords’ debut title is a $25 ‘noir action game’ coming next year
The first Liquid Swords game will arrive in early 2026, it was announced during today’s PC Gaming Show. Samson: A Tyndalston Story is billed as “a heavy-handed noir action game” by its developer and centers on the eponymous Samson McCray, a man who has fallen into heavy debt in a town that doesn’t seem particularly forgiving.
The first trailer doesn’t reveal much in terms of story, but I’m getting some realistic Max Payne-y vibes. The combat feels crunchy and visceral, and it seems like Liquid Swords is going for an oppressive atmosphere. “Samson is built on a simple and brutal truth: every day takes its toll on you,” the studio wrote in a statement. “Debt grows with interest and time works against you. Each job burns a limited number of action points and each decision changes how the city treats you – there is no recast. You move forward because standing still only makes things worse.”
Liquid Swords is teasing its first game in a while. The studio has serious pedigree, founded in 2020 by Christofer Sundberg, who created the Just Cause franchise when he was at Avalanche Studios. Developers who have already worked on Mad Max and the Battlefield series also joined Sundberg at Liquid Swords, and the studio says it drew on his collective experience in combat systems, systemic design, animation and action-oriented storytelling to create Samson.
Just Cause was an open world series, but it feels like Samson will be a more focused experience, perhaps reflected by its $25 price tag. Earlier this year, the studio laid off an undisclosed number of employees, which it said was necessary to ensure its “long-term viability” amid challenging industry conditions. Samson: A Tyndalston Story will launch in early 2026 on Steam and Epic Games Store. We don’t yet know if it will also come to console.
Correction, December 5, 2025, 3:25 p.m. ET: This story originally misspelled Christofer Sundberg’s name. We apologize for the error.
