News from the Armory: A Liquid Swords Update

What have we been doing this winter?

The first three months of 2023 in Stockholm have been predictably cold and snow-covered. Yet, despite the less-than-perfect outside conditions, the winter months have been a buzz of activity for Liquid Swords. With plenty of events, new faces, and a front-cover spot, the time has flown by faster than the birds returning from their Southern sojourns.

Sixty Swords

We’ve made no secret that we’re aiming to grow to 100 (actually, we’ve banged on about it quite a lot). Reaching, or getting as close as possible, to that milestone is crucial for us in two ways. First, it means that our core studio, Liquid Swords HQ, has the right people, with the right skills, in the right teams to enter full production for our first game. It also means we can effectively outsource and partner with other studios for specific parts of our development process. The second reason relates to our founder’s original vision and experience-taught belief that, above 100, studios begin to become impersonal, overly corporate, and increasingly siloed. This winter, we reached 60 at the studio, bringing our target of 100 even closer in sight.

We’ve packed and moved

February 20 was a massive day for us. The preceding Friday, we left the seventh and tenth floors of our old building for the last time and arrived at our brand-new home after the weekend.

Being in a new, purpose-fitted space is great, but the benefits go beyond aesthetics. The space is crucial to our studio's health and our first game's success. We’re now working in an environment where we can be truly collaborative (no more running up and down two flights of stairs). We have the very best facilities, new meeting rooms, bespoke technical setups, and the space to hold us all as we continue to grow.

Liquid Swords does GDC

You don’t need to be presenting or exhibiting at GDC to make the trip to San Francisco. Attending one of the biggest conferences in our industry is a no-brainer with all the expert panels, industry peers, and well-earned celebrations taking place. We sent a sizeable team who brought back plenty of inspiration, insights into the first look at the Unreal Engine 5.2, and well-kept secrets from the NDA AMD event. But they were all too happy to share plenty of pictures from the best party of the week, hosted by none other than us!

Cover of MCV/Develop

Last, our founder and CCO, Christofer Sundberg, was on the cover of MCV/Develop’s February edition. Christofer talked about everything from caffeine to a career in video games to creating content-rich open worlds. You can read the full interview here and enjoy MCV/Develop’s insight into Liquid Swords’ MPV. Sidenote: the new coffee machines are excellent!

As we hit ‘post’, the snow is finally melting in Stockholm. Even though the sun might not be shining through the windows of our new office, our studio members still look toward the exciting milestones that spring has in store.