Payday 3

{{Infobox video game

| title = Payday 3

| image = File:Payday 3 cover art.jpg

| developer = Starbreeze Studios

| publisher = Deep Silver

| genre = First-person shooter

| engine = Unreal Engine 4

| platforms = {{ubl|PlayStation 5|Windows|Xbox Series X/S}}

| release = 21 September 2023

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| composer = Gustavo Coutinho

}}

Payday 3 is a 2023 cooperative first-person shooter game developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by Deep Silver. The game is a sequel to Payday 2, and is the third installment in the Payday series. It was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 21 September 2023. It received mixed reviews from critics and failed to meet the sales expectations of Starbreeze and Embracer Group.

Setting

Payday 3 takes place after the ending of Payday 2 where the Payday Gang went separate ways and left their criminal lives, but being double-crossed and losing all of their money causes the Payday Gang to return to the life of crime.{{Cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=2021-10-23 |title=Payday 3 is set in New York, features the original gang |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-23-payday-3-is-set-in-new-york-and-features-software-giants-crypto-currencies-and-the-dark-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321031257/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-10-23-payday-3-is-set-in-new-york-and-features-software-giants-crypto-currencies-and-the-dark-web |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=Eurogamer |language=en}} The original crew of characters originating from Payday: The Heist ("Dallas", "Chains", "Wolf", and "Hoxton") return, with 5 other characters, four returning from Payday 2 ("Joy", "Houston", "Clover", "Jacket"), and one new character ("Pearl"), appearing as additional characters. The game takes place mainly in New York in the 2020s,{{Cite web |last=Knoop |first=Joseph |date=2021-10-25 |title=Payday 3 Will Be Set in a 'Living, Enormous' New York City |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/payday-3-new-york |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012161919/https://www.ign.com/articles/payday-3-new-york |archive-date=October 12, 2022 |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=IGN |language=en}} intended to add more depth to the Payday Gang's crimes with game-changing differences like more advanced surveillance or the rise of cryptocurrency.

Heists

Currently, there are 16 heists in Payday 3. These heists are divided into 3 sections.

Core Heists

No Rest For The Wicked
Road Rage
Dirty Ice
Rock The Cradle
Under The Surphaze
Gold And Sharke
99 Boxes
Touch The Sky

Side Hustles

Turbid Station (Remastered from Payday 2)
Cook Off (Remastered from Payday 2)
Diamond District
First World Bank (Remastered from Payday 2)

The Bad Apple (DLC Heists)

Syntax Error
Boys In Blue
Houston Breakout (previously known as Land of The Free)
Fear And Greed

In the Dev Update 09 video on the PAYDAY YouTube channel, the mode "Holdout" from Payday 2 was accidentally leaked, with Holdout having the heist image of 99 Boxes.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr4yL6jZSk0 |title=PAYDAY 3: Dev Update 09 |date=2024-10-23 |last=PAYDAY 3 |access-date=2024-11-21 |via=YouTube}}

Development

Developer Starbreeze Studios announced in May 2016 that Payday 3 was in development at Overkill Software, after Starbreeze acquired the rights to the intellectual property from 505 Games for around {{USD|30 million}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-confirmed-microtransactions-eliminated-as/1100-6440324/ |title=Payday 3 Confirmed, Microtransactions Eliminated as Starbreeze Buys Franchise Rights |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |work=GameSpot |date=May 31, 2016 |accessdate=May 24, 2022 |archive-date=September 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922084624/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-confirmed-microtransactions-eliminated-as/1100-6440324/ |url-status=live }} In March 2021, Plaion committed to pay {{€|50 million}} to assist in the game's development and marketing, including more than 18 months of post-launch support using the games as a service model.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-is-coming-in-2023-new-image-released/1100-6489060/|title=Payday 3 Is Coming In 2023, New Image Released|first=Eddie|last=Makuch|work=GameSpot|date=March 19, 2021|accessdate=May 22, 2022|archive-date=May 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516051250/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-is-coming-in-2023-new-image-released/1100-6489060/|url-status=live}} Payday 3 was developed using Unreal Engine 4, but will be upgraded to use Unreal Engine 5 post launch.{{Cite web |title=PAYDAY 3: Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.paydaythegame.com/payday3/faq/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=PAYDAY Official Site |language=en-US}} On January 1, 2023, a teaser trailer titled A New Criminal Dawn was released, revealing its logo. Console versions are also the same version as the game on PC platforms, unlike its predecessor. Overkill states that this is due to the game being created using the Unreal Engine.{{Cite web |last1=Wright |first1=Steven T. |title=Payday 3 Is "Same Game" On Console And PC |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-is-same-game-on-console-and-pc/1100-6510261/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=GameSpot |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |date=January 3, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=January 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104033753/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/payday-3-is-same-game-on-console-and-pc/1100-6510261/ |url-status=live }} In June, Overkill announced that the game would release on September 18, 2023 for people who had pre-ordered the Silver and Gold editions, while the standard edition would release on September 21.{{Cite web |last=Morbhatt |first=Muskan |date=2023-06-11 |title=Payday 3: Release Date, Gameplay, and Exciting Features Unveiled |url=https://otakuzasshi.com/gaming/payday-3-release-date-gameplay-and-exciting-features-unveiled/ |url-status=live |access-date=2023-06-11 |website=OtakuZasshi |archive-date=June 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611191851/https://otakuzasshi.com/gaming/payday-3-release-date-gameplay-and-exciting-features-unveiled/ }}

Reception

=Critical response=

{{Video game reviews

| MC = PC: 66/100
PS5: 61/100
XBOX: 67/100

| DT = {{Rating|3.5|5}}

| EuroG = {{Rating|3|5}}

| IGN = 7/10

}}

Payday 3 received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.{{Cite web|title=Payday 3 PC Critic Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/payday-3/critic-reviews/?platform=pc|access-date=2023-09-23|website=Metacritic}}{{Cite web|title=Payday 3 PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/payday-3/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5|access-date=2023-10-18|website=Metacritic}}{{Cite web|title=Payday 3 Xbox Series X Critic Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/payday-3/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x|access-date=2023-10-18|website=Metacritic}}

Vikki Blake, writing for Eurogamer, called it "a shallow shooter that doesn't offer anywhere near enough bang for your ill-gotten buck."{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/payday-3-review|title=Payday 3 review - furiously good fun, if criminally unadventurous|last=Blake|first=Vikki|date=October 6, 2023|website=Eurogamer|access-date=October 18, 2023}} Travis Northup, writing for IGN, wrote that "Payday 3{{'s}} cooperative heists are off to a strong start, even if the vault is a bit bare at the moment."{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/payday-3-review|title=Payday 3 Review|last=Northup|first=Travis|date=September 19, 2023|website=IGN|access-date=October 18, 2023}} Giovanni Colantonio, in a review for Digital Trends, said that "Payday 3 doesn't shake up its predecessor's formula much, but a strong batch of initial heists sets the live service shooter up for success."{{cite web|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/payday-3-review-xbox-series-x/|title=Payday 3 review: the plan is set. Now comes the hard part|last=Colantonio|first=Giovanni|date=September 21, 2023|website=Digital Trends|access-date=October 18, 2023}}

=Launch=

Upon launch, the game's servers failed due to the massive influx of players, making the game almost unplayable, since the game is online-only. The outages lasted for days.{{Cite news |last=Blake |first=Vikki |date=2023-09-23 |title=Payday 3 players endure second consecutive day of server issues, preventing them from playing |language=en |work=Eurogamer |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/payday-3-players-endure-second-consecutive-day-of-server-issues-preventing-them-from-playing |access-date=2023-09-23}}{{Cite news |last=Wood |first=Austin |date=2023-09-26 |title=Payday 3 offline mode under consideration as launch disaster continues: "Everything is on the table for us right now" |language=en |work=GamesRadar+ |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/payday-3-dev-defends-always-online-setup-as-server-issues-continue-says-we-have-not-confirmed-an-offline-mode-but-were-evaluating-every-possibility |access-date=2023-10-01}} Starbreeze announced that the game had attracted more than 1.3 million players at launch.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-payday-3-i-smashes-and-grabs-1-3-million-players-in-opening-weekend|title=Payday 3 smashes and grabs 1.3 million players in opening weekend|first=Justin|last=Carter|work=Game Developer|date=September 26, 2023|accessdate=October 29, 2023}}

= Sales =

Payday 3 became the fifth and the sixth best-selling video game in the United States and the United Kingdom respectively in September 2023.{{Cite web |last=Dring |first=Christopher |date=October 20, 2023 |title=Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo console sales jumped 44% in September |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/xbox-playstation-and-nintendo-console-sales-jumped-44-in-september-uk-monthly-charts |access-date=October 29, 2023 |website=Gameindustry.biz}}{{Cite web |last=Kaser |first=Rachel |date=October 19, 2023 |title=Starfield rockets past Mortal Kombat 1 to top spot |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/starfield-rockets-past-mortal-kombat-1-to-top-spot-circana-september-2023/ |access-date=October 29, 2023 |website=VentureBeat}}

One month after launch, the player base on Steam plummeted, with Payday 2 having 10 times more concurrent players than Payday 3.{{Cite web |last=Ngan |first=Niv |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Payday 3 Steam player count flagging as fans await first patch |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/payday-3-steam-player-count-flagging-as-fans-await-first-patch |access-date=October 29, 2023 |website=Eurogamer}}

In November 2023, Embracer Group (owner of Deep Silver) said that Payday 3 had failed to meet their sales expectations.{{Cite web |last=Ivan |first=Tom |date=2023-11-16 |title=Embracer says Payday 3 underperformed following launch issues |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/embracer-says-payday-3-underperformed-following-launch-issues/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=VGC |language=en-GB}}

In February 2024, Starbreeze said that the game's sales and player activity were way below expectations.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Graham |date=February 15, 2024 |title=Payday 3 sales "significantly lower" than hoped, but Starbreeze focused on "long-term success" |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/payday-3-sales-significantly-lower-than-hoped-but-starbreeze-focused-on-long-term-success |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=Rock Paper Shotgun}}{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Chris |title=Starbreeze admits Payday 3 is massively underperforming |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/starbreeze-admits-payday-3-is-massively-underperforming |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=gamedeveloper.com |language=en}} In March 2024, Starbreeze fired CEO Tobias Sjögren and replaced him with Juergen Goeldner as interim CEO.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Chris |date=March 12, 2024 |title=Starbreeze ousts CEO Tobias Sjögren with Payday 3 in dire straits |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/starbreeze-ousts-ceo-tobias-sj-gren-with-payday-3-in-dire-straits |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=gamedeveloper.com |language=en}} On May 15 2024, Mats Juhl replaced Juergen Goeldner to become acting CEO of Starbreeze.{{Cite web |title=PM – Starbreeze |url=https://corporate.starbreeze.com/en/press/press-releases/starbreeze-ab-appoints-a-new-interim-ceo-a44fdf79/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=corporate.starbreeze.com |language=en}} In September 2024, it was announced that game director Miodrag Kovačevićas had been removed from his role in preparation for the game's second year, with Andreas Häll Penninger (lead producer on Payday 3) and Almir Listo (Starbreeze's Global Brand Director) becoming interim game directors.{{Cite web |last=Wales |first=Matt |date=2024-09-11 |title=Payday 3 gets new creative leads as player numbers remain dwarfed by decade-old predecessor |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/payday-3-gets-new-creative-leads-as-player-numbers-still-dwarfed-by-decade-old-predecessor |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Eurogamer.net |language=en}}

On a 'Heist with Almir' stream in November 2024, Mats Juhl (Starbreeze's CFO and acting CEO) said that "so far, the game [Payday 3] hasn't made any profits".{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.twitch.tv/paydaythegame/clip/EasyProductiveQuailKlappa-4FSX_33JIot4Qc6Z |title=PAYDAYTheGame - Payday 3 has not made any profits |date=2024-11-21 |access-date=2024-11-21 |via=www.twitch.tv}}