Payday 3 is the third installment in the Payday series, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by Prime Matter. Released in September 2023, the game continues the franchise’s signature co-op gameplay while introducing several new features, updated mechanics, and visuals. As with its predecessors, Payday 3 lets players take on the role of the Payday Gang, a group of professional criminals who pull off high-stakes heists, from bank robberies to corporate sabotage.
The game is set in the modern era and takes place after the events of Payday 2. The gang has resurfaced after several years in hiding, and the world is now a very different place, with more advanced security measures, a changed criminal underworld, and new challenges. Action-packed, high-intensity heists and the franchise’s signature blend of strategy, action, and chaos remain at the core of the game.
Payday 3 picks up years after the original trilogy, as the Payday Gang—which includes Dallas, Hoxton, Chainsaw, and Wolf—goes into hiding after a string of successful heists that made them infamous. Now, after years of hiding, the gang has returned to the world of crime, and a new generation of thieves are once again taking on major heists. As they return, they must face new enemies, new targets, and new methods of law enforcement, making their jobs even more dangerous.
The game features new locations around the world, including iconic cities like New York, Berlin, and Moscow, all designed with a modern twist. Players will steal from powerful corporations, hack into highly secure systems, rob banks, and go beyond traditional heists, targeting targets such as tech moguls, organized crime syndicates, and political figures.
Payday 3’s story is not as heavily narrative-driven as other titles, but it builds on the legacy of the Payday universe, delving into the gang’s past, motivations, and interactions with old enemies and new partners in crime. The central narrative threads are interwoven through personal conflicts, betrayal, and the gang’s complex relationship with law enforcement and rival criminals.
Payday 3 retains the core gameplay mechanics that made its predecessors successful while introducing new features and improving on existing ones. The game is designed for cooperative multiplayer, allowing up to four players to team up to pull off high-risk, high-reward heists. Here’s a closer look at the gameplay features:
Payday 3 is all about pulling off heists. Whether you’re robbing a bank, stealing art, breaking into secure facilities, or hacking corporate systems, the game offers a variety of missions with different objectives and challenges.
Some missions feature additional objectives such as stealing specific items, finding hidden loot, or dealing with unexpected complications during the mission, such as hostage situations or sudden police interventions.
The game’s stealth system allows players to sneak up on targets undetected, disable security, sneak past guards, and perform silent takedowns. The goal is to complete the mission without alerting law enforcement, earning you bigger rewards for completing the heist without setting off alarms.
On the other hand, if you prefer chaos, you can go the louder approach — storming the place with firearms, engaging in intense gunfights with SWAT teams, the FBI, or private security. This approach requires careful coordination and firepower to control the situation, especially when things escalate quickly.
The game features a robust skill tree system, allowing players to level up and unlock new abilities, equipment, and perks as they progress. You can customize your character’s skills to suit your preferred playstyle, whether you prefer stealth, melee, or technical combat.
