Starbreeze’s Commitment to Revitalizing Payday 3
Since its launch in 2023, Payday 3 has faced significant challenges, leaving Starbreeze grappling with the game’s reception. While the previous installment, Payday 2, garnered a dedicated following and is celebrated as one of the finest co-op experiences, the latest title stumbled out of the gate. Players have expressed dissatisfaction with the new and reworked systems, resulting in a stark contrast in player engagement; recent statistics reveal that daily player counts for Payday 2 on Steam are approximately 20 times higher than those for its successor.
Rather than abandoning the project, Starbreeze has taken decisive action to address the concerns of its community. In a strategic pivot, the developer has canceled a Dungeons & Dragons project to reallocate resources towards enhancing Payday 3. Additionally, support for Payday 2 has been transitioned to another studio, allowing Starbreeze to focus its efforts on revitalizing the struggling title.
One of the primary grievances surrounding Payday 3 has been its skill system, which revolved around three buffs: Rush, Edge, and Grit. Players found these buffs cumbersome and difficult to master. In response, Starbreeze is overhauling this system with the upcoming free update, Skills 2.0, which promises to simplify and enhance the gameplay experience.
The new skill system will eliminate the previous buffs entirely, introducing a more intuitive structure with archetype trees. This redesign aims to clarify the relationship between skills and playstyles, featuring six main archetypes: Soldier, Ninja, Mechanic, Hacker, Conman, and Professional. Each archetype will also include three subdivisions, allowing players the flexibility to mix and match skills according to their preferences.
To further assist players in navigating the new system, Starbreeze has developed an online tool that enables users to plan their skill progression without needing to experiment in-game. Upon reaching Infamy level 150, players will have access to 51 skill points to allocate within the revamped framework.
In anticipation of potential gameplay balance issues, Starbreeze has proactively adjusted weapon damage to ensure that new skills do not render certain weapons overwhelmingly powerful. A comprehensive chart detailing these adjustments is available in the latest patch notes, allowing players to assess the impact on their favorite firearms.
The Skills 2.0 update also introduces a variety of smaller enhancements and fixes. Notably, players can now throw bags at enemies to stagger them, providing a tactical advantage in combat. A new visual effect has been added to illustrate the cash plume that emerges when a duffel bag is thrown. Additionally, a frustrating bug that prevented the use of throwing knives after being tased mid-animation has been resolved.
While Skills 2.0 represents a significant overhaul of one of the core systems in Payday 3, it remains to be seen whether these changes will be sufficient to attract former players or sway loyal fans of Payday 2. Nevertheless, this update marks a promising step forward, reminiscent of the redemption arc seen in titles like No Man’s Sky, as Starbreeze endeavors to restore the game’s reputation and player base.
