PAYDAY 3 News

[p]Heisters![/p][p]The summer is heating up here in Sweden, and the Steam Summer Sale is now kicking off with sizzling discounts on a whole lot of games. PAYDAY 3 is of course one of them, with the following discounts:[/p][p]PAYDAY 3 - 70% off[/p][p]PAYDAY 3 Year 1 Edition - 70% off[/p][p]PAYDAY 3 Year 1 Pass - 50% off[/p][p]Chapter 1-4 DLC Bundles - 30% to 50% off[/p][p]Jacket Character Pack - 20% off[/p][p]Party Powder Heist - 20% off[/p][hr][/hr][p]And if you want even more PAYDAY, the sale applies to the whole franchise so check out PAYDAY 2 and PAYDAY: The Heist as well![/p][p]Happy heisting 🌞[/p][p][/p]

[h2]Free Game Mode - Smash & Grab[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]This new take on the familiar is our attempt to make PAYDAY more approachable. While initially intended for new players, we hope veterans will enjoy the pure thrill of heisting just as much.[/p]

• [p]Boys in Blue[/p]
  • [p]Cops have pulled over several cars suspected of drug smuggling. Get in, grab the stash, and get out fast. [/p]
• [p]No Rest for the Wicked[/p]
  • [p]Let's keep this simple - Make it quick, and grab as much as you can! [/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Free Weapon - Spearfish 1895[/h2][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]A new take on a classic rifle, the Spearfish 1895 combines rapid fire with power in an unbeatable package.[/p][p]This beauty is available for free, to all players.[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][h2]Disclaimer[/h2][p]At the time of release, playing on Patch 2.1.4 with a PD3 Mod Loader installed will make your Infamy level temporarily appear as level 1. You will not be able to access Inventory items that are unlocked at higher Infamy levels and you will not be able to progress on your Infamy while the Mod Loader is active.[/p][p]Some Mod Loaders have already been updated, check if yours is one of them if you're experiencing the above issue. [/p][hr][/hr][h2]Known Issues[/h2]

• [p]Players buying the weapon presets "Miami Decadence" and "Freedom's Fortune" for the first time this patch will not see them in their loadout, and thus cannot play with them. [/p]
• [p]The game crashes when using the skill Death Knell and smoke grenades on drones.[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Favors[/h2][p]The favor groups have been set to the following:[/p]

• [p]Rock the Cradle - Fear & Greed - Under the Surphaze - Touch the Sky[/p]
• [p]Road Rage - 99 Boxes - Cook Off - Boys in Blue - Party Powder[/p]
• [p]No Rest for the Wicked - Gold & Sharke - Syntax Error - First World Bank[/p]
• [p]Diamond District - Turbid Station - Dirty Ice - Houston Breakout[/p]

[h3]Smash & Grab[/h3][p]These run on a different system from the normal favors, and are grouped as such:[/p]

• [p]Bank Withdrawal; Diamond District - No Rest for the Wicked - Dirty Ice - Touch the Sky[/p]
• [p]Search and Seizure; Party Powder - Boys in Blue - Cook Off - Road Rage[/p]

[hr][/hr][h2]Gameplay[/h2]

• [p]Fixed weapon targeting sway on the R900S weapon.[/p]
• [p]Repair kits now only restore the current armor plate.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where Dozer would stop shooting when receiving heavy stagger.[/p]
• [p]Placing sentry turret no longer flicker as much when affected by lag,[/p]
• [p]Silencer added by default on S40 pistol for the new players.[/p]

[p] [/p][h2]Skill Changes[/h2]

• [p]Tossing throwing knife with 'Retriever' skill equipped now always give one throwing knife back.[/p]

[p] [/p][h2]Technical Changes[/h2]

• [p]Friends-only lobbies created before adding a player to the friend list can now be joined by a new friend.[/p]
• [p]Fixed preplanning assets being consumed every heist restart.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where infamy would reset to 1 and Infamy Points (IP) would only level up Renown.[/p]
• [p]Deployed another fix for users not being able to log in due to loadout names.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]UI[/h2]

• [p]Added missing string on Voyeur Optic.[/p]
• [p]Disabled keypads now show a 'disabled' prompt.[/p]
• [p]Fixed an issue where pressing ESC on Photo Sensitive warning would get the loading screen stuck in a loop.[/p]
• [p]Visual update to some parts of the HUD a minor first step to improving its visual parts. [/p]
• [p]Fixed flickering of navbar if hovering over some border section between buttons in the main menu.[/p]
• [p]Fixed backwards navigation from the characters tab.[/p]
• [p]Added "in focus" outline to show which drone is in focus for hacking.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Art[/h2]

• [p]Fixed Justicar sight[/p]
• [p]Flying security drones will no longer display the red cone of light after the alarm sounds[/p]
• [p]The "Kinetic Short-Circuit" stunned animation is now visible for other players[/p]
• [p]Added new facial dialog animations for player characters.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Audio[/h2]

• [p]Added missing VFX on glass railings on Fear and Greed heist.[/p]
• [p]Sentry turret can no longer get stuck in rotate sound when killed.[/p]

[p][/p][h2]Heist Changes[/h2][h3]No Rest for the Wicked[/h3]

• [p]Prevented an issue that could occur if killing all managers and using the thermite would trigger a bugged first assault, where no enemies would spawn in the first wave.[/p]

[h3]Boys in Blue[/h3]

• [p]Improved drone pathing in the evidence corridor.[/p]
• [p]Added animation to the car lift button and increased the interaction area and outline.[/p]

[h3]First World Bank[/h3]

• [p]The player is no longer able to secure loot in the vents, if using the chopper escape favor.[/p]

We want to be transparent with you.

In the past days of testing for the June 18th update we've encountered a bug which could mess with the Infamy progression for a limited group of players. That's not something we take lightly, and we need more time.

This means that there won't be an update today, June 18th. We'll update you as soon as we know more.

Game development is a fickle beast, so we hope that you can bear with us as we find a resolution, which will ensure that no one has to have all of their hours and progression into the game wiped.

[p]The year was 2023, PAYDAY 3 had just been released, and we had a problem. Several problems, but let’s focus on the one we’re here to talk about, onboarding.

Onboarding refers to new player experience in PAYDAY, or how likely a new player is to understand, enjoy, and stick with the game. It’s been on our to-do for the longest time, and it’s been a priority, but one that we’ve unfortunately had to keep delaying for other, higher priorities.

Let’s let you guys into the conversation by sharing some of our thoughts—airing out what we think are the core issues we need to resolve in order for PAYDAY 3 to become as popular with the public as it is to our hardcore fans.
[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Complexity[/h2][p][/p][p]PAYDAY is complex by its very nature. A heist is an intricate series of actions and events that should lead to the heister running away giggling with a dollar-signed burlap sack over their shoulder. For our veteran players, probably the ones reading this blog, that’s not much of a problem. For new players however, it’s a whole different story. 

At the beginning of the year, we conducted a round of playtesting using GoTestify, a UK-based company specialising in helping game developers understand players, to determine whether our tutorials were assisting new players in mastering the core skills to succeed. Shoutout to you guys! If you’d like to view some of the player insights or learn more, the videos are available for the public here.

It doesn’t take a game developer to see the problem; games need new players to flourish. We weren’t having issues with people trying out the game, but did have issues with them not sticking around. Now there’s always some, but at a rate we weren’t happy with.

There were no easy answers, and we identified issues across disciplines that all contributed to the problem. The one we’ll be introducing and tackling today, is one succinctly described as “there’s too much shit between the player starting a heist and grabbing the money.” With that stroke of genius in the air, we decided to test out this theory in a new game mode called Smash & Grab.
[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Smash & Grab[/h2][p][/p][p]From our perspective, this is a bit of an experiment; which is fun! Trying new things and seeing how they work out is a pillar of game development. While it’s primarily aimed at helping new players get into the game, we do hope the simpler approach will resonate with veterans, committing to a 5-10 minute adventure in Crimetown is easier than a 15-20 minute one if time is of the essence. Quick in & out job, what could go wrong?

These “new” heists are based on heists you already know; No Rest for the Wicked and Boys in Blue. And before you ask, no you don’t need to own the DLC to play the Boys in Blue Smash & Grab. That setup will let us make a sample version of any new heist that everyone can play.

Smash & Grab is also a confidence builder—designed to let new players learn fast, succeed early, and get hooked without being overwhelmed. And for veterans, while it’s not a deep-planning puzzle box, higher difficulties introduce new twists like extra loot spread or vault access mechanics to keep things fresh.

You can find Smash & Grab heists under their own tab/category in CrimeNet or at the bottom of the big heist list, and they’ll be recommended for players below infamy 10.
[/p][hr][/hr][h2]Conclusion[/h2][p]As mentioned, this is all an experiment. One we hope will help improve the game and its future, but an experiment nonetheless. If you or someone you know has put down their masks, maybe this is the sign you’ve been waiting for to give it another go? And make sure to let us know what you think! Is this a building block for something great, or something that’s nice for newbies but not much more? Let us know on whatever platform you prefer, we read it all!

For anyone who’s new to the game entirely, we’ve added a QR code for console players to help in signing up to Nebula to remove some of the friction early on.

And for the combat junkies who don’t feel that this is for them, don’t worry, we got you. In the same update we’re releasing the Spearfish 1895 rifle, a lever-action rifle that’s able to fire rapidly when hipfired, or fire accurately with more punch when aimed down sight. You’ll see more of the Spearfish in a few days!

[/p][p]This fantastic update releases for free, on June 18th.[/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]Heisters![/p][p]Join Elisabeth and Almir as they walked down memory lane on Twitch and YouTube![/p][p]Twitch VOD - YouTube VOD[/p][p][/p][hr][/hr][p][/p][h2]The Almir Mask Twitch Drop[/h2][p]For the Twitch viewers; We will also be bringing back the Almir Mask Twitch Drop for this stream, so make sure you tune in! Watch for 1 hour to unlock![/p][p][/p]