Video game news digest: Monday, October 19, 2026
Steam Next Fest opens today, the ID@Xbox Showcase brings 18 games on Tuesday and Samson studio Liquid Swords is declared bankrupt in Stockholm.
A quiet Sunday for games: Steam Next Fest opens today, Xbox shows off its indie lineup tomorrow and Liquid Swords, the studio behind Samson, has been declared bankrupt.
Steam Next Fest opens today at 10 AM PT
Steam's demo festival runs from Monday, October 19 at 10 AM PT until Monday, October 26 at the same time. For a week, you can play free demos of unreleased games, chat with the people making them and add your favorites to your wishlist. It's a crowded edition: PC Gamer counts 8,011 games on the event's press preview page, roughly double June's figure. The outlet blames a wave of low-effort games churned out quickly with the help of AI.
The ID@Xbox Showcase features 18 games on Tuesday
Xbox and IGN stream their indie showcase on Tuesday, October 20 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6 PM BST across IGN's channels, according to the co-host. Expect trailers and gameplay from 18 upcoming Xbox and PC games, including several world premieres. The Wolf Among Us Remastered, Telltale's refreshed adventure game due on October 29, will be there, along with footage from publisher Critical Reflex Games.
Samson studio Liquid Swords declared bankrupt
The Stockholm District Court declared Liquid Swords bankrupt on October 12, PC Gamer reports; the Swedish studio was founded in 2020 by Avalanche Studios (Just Cause) co-founder Christofer Sundberg. The administrator is selling the business and its assets, mainly the rights to Samson, with bids due by noon on Wednesday, October 21. Swedish outlet Breakit says the roughly 30 employees had gone unpaid for at least two months. Their unpaid wages will be covered by Sweden's state wage guarantee, Eurogamer notes. Samson, the studio's first game, launched on PC in April to mixed reviews, followed by consoles in September.
Sources
- store.steampowered.com/sale/nextfest
- www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/steam-week-in-review-steam-next-fest-has-over-8…
- www.ign.com/articles/id-xbox-showcase-october-2026-how-to-watch
- blog.playstation.com/2026/10/01/return-to-fabletown-with-the-wolf-among-us-rema…
- www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/liquid-swords-developer-of-open-city-crime-sim-…
- www.eurogamer.net/liquid-swords-samson-developer-bankrupt
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