Samson: A Tyndalston Story is officially live on PC as of today, April 8, 2026, and it arrives at exactly the right time for open-world crime game fans who simply cannot wait for GTA 6. Developed by Liquid Swords and helmed by Christofer Sundberg, the co-creator of the Just Cause franchise, Samson brings a focused, no-guns, debt-driven criminal experience to Steam and the Epic Games Store. Here is everything you need to know before you decide to pick it up.
When Does Samson Release and Where Can You Buy It?
Samson: A Tyndalston Story launched today, April 8, 2026, and you can purchase it right now on Steam or the Epic Games Store. For players outside the US, the UK price sits at £20.99 for the base edition.
Here are the exact launch times by region:
| Region | Launch Time |
| Pacific Time (PT) | 6:00 AM |
| Eastern Time (ET) | 9:00 AM |
| Central European Summer Time (CEST) | 3:00 PM |
| Japan Standard Time (JST) | 10:00 PM |
What Editions Are Available for Samson?
Samson comes in two editions on Steam:
| Edition | Price (USD) | What You Get |
| Standard Edition | $25 | Base game |
| Supporter Edition | $30 | Base game + official soundtrack, 8 x 4K wallpapers, concept art, character bios, Tyndalston map, 3D printable character files (.STL, .3MF, .OBJ) |
The Supporter Edition is a solid pick if you want a deeper look at the world of Tyndalston and a physical hobby angle with the 3D print files.
What Kind of Game Is Samson?
Samson: A Tyndalston Story puts you in the shoes of Samson, a man who owes a dangerous debt after a heist goes sideways. Mobsters hold his sister as collateral, and every missed payment compounds the interest. The pressure is always on.
Key points about the gameplay:
- No guns. This is a deliberate design choice by Liquid Swords. Combat focuses entirely on hand-to-hand brawling, using momentum, terrain, and improvised tools.
- Cars are weapons. Samson treats vehicles as blunt instruments. You can ram, drift, smash, or outmanoeuvre anyone chasing you.
- Over 25 upgrades spread across brawling and driving skill trees.
- NPC reputation tracking. The city of Tyndalston reacts to your behaviour across sessions, meaning how you play shapes how the world responds to you.
- Multiple open-world districts make up the fictional city of Tyndalston.
The developer describes the game’s inspiration as Sleeping Dogs, Driver, and of course Grand Theft Auto. Christofer Sundberg has compared Samson to the tight, efficient action movies of the 80s and 90s rather than a sprawling 60-hour sandbox. “There are times when you want to put GTA down and pick up something else,” Sundberg has said.
Will Samson Come to PS5 or Xbox?
Samson launches exclusively on PC for now. However, Liquid Swords has confirmed that the game is already running on console development kits. The studio chose to prioritise PC stability before going through Sony and Microsoft’s certification processes. A console release date has not been announced yet, but it is actively being worked on.
There is currently no word on a Mac version.
What Do Critics Say About Samson?
Samson currently holds a Metacritic score of 58%, which reflects a split critical reception. Here is a breakdown:
| Outlet | Score | Verdict Summary |
| Outhaven | 8/10 | Praised its refreshing, no-nonsense approach in an era of bloated open-world games |
| Destructoid | 6/10 | Acknowledged its inspirations but flagged bugs and an underwhelming final product |
| Game Rant | 3/10 | Called it a joyless and derivative experience |
The game launched just hours ago, so no user reviews are available on Steam yet. Early critical reception is mixed, but the conversation is still very much open.
Why Does Samson Matter Right Now?
GTA 6 launches on November 19, 2026, exclusively for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at launch, with no confirmed PC release date from Rockstar. That leaves a significant gap in the market for open-world crime game fans on PC, and Samson steps directly into that space.
The development road was not smooth. In February 2025, Liquid Swords laid off roughly half of its team, which forced the studio to shelve more ambitious RPG systems originally planned for Samson. Sundberg has been upfront about this, noting those features are saved for a potential follow-up depending on how Samson performs commercially.
At $25 / £20.99, Samson is priced as a focused, budget-friendly alternative, not a direct competitor to a billion-dollar production. If you go in with that expectation, the game may well scratch that itch while you count down to GTA VI.
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