After a rough couple of weeks, Payday 3 is turning the corner. The game’s launch was plagued by matchmaking problems that sent the game’s user rating on Steam plummeting to ‘Mostly Negative.’ Last week, a pair of server maintenance upgrades fixed most of the server issues.
Last Tuesday, the matchmaking infrastructure was updated, followed by software and hardware updates on Friday. The devs now describe matchmaking as “stable and has had good performance after the completed maintenance.”
The devs talk about how they “will now intensify the commercial activities around Payday 3, after partially pausing these during the previous week.” They then lay out a mini-roadmap for Payday 3 over the next few months. Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.
October: The developers tout more than 200+ Quality-of-Life (QoL) improvements are coming for all platforms in an October update. Another update slated sometime in October or November includes more fixes along with new content and functionality. No word on exactly what new content or functionality will come.
November – A third update with more fixes, content and functionality.
Winter 2023 – The first DLC (Syntax Error) release. There are four DLCs already announced, including Syntax Error (Winter 2023), Boys in Blue (Spring 2024), The Land of the Free (Summer 2024), and Fear and Greed (Fall 2024).
The developers also said they are looking into an offline mode after the rough launch.
Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren released another statement thanking players for their patience and reiterating the company is in it for the long haul with Payday 3:
“First and foremost, I would like to thank our players for the patience they have shown us. Our community is the engine that drives both our games and our company forward. I don’t really need to repeat that this was not the start we wanted, but at the same time, our business model is a marathon and not a sprint and we will tirelessly continue to build PAYDAY 3 bigger and better to deliver the greatest possible value for our players.”
Smooth matchmaking and these first few updates will be crucial for Starbreeze’s long-term success with Payday 3. There’s always an appetite for co-op shooters, and the Payday franchise has been one of the most popular.