Summary
- PlayStation Plus Extra adds Payday 2: Crimewave Edition on September 30.
- Update 1.54 released alongside, removing expired license content for new players.
- Existing owners of Payday 2: Crimewave Edition will not be affected by the removed content.
Payday 2 has officially been added to PlayStation Plus Extra, but the included Crimewave Edition appears to be inferior as developer Overkill Software, which is now a subsidiary of Starbreeze Studios, removes some popular pieces of content from the 2013 shooter. Alongside the release of Payday 2 on PS Plus Extra, Overkill Software also deployed patch 1.54, which removes a handful of expired licensed content for any new players.
Despite being released all the way back in 2013, Payday 2 remains the most popular entry in the series. A follow-up, titled Payday 3, was launched in 2023 but was met with mostly negative reviews as players blasted the sequel's progression system, server issues, constant online requirement, and the overall fact that it felt like a downgrade when compared to its predecessor. While the studio remains dedicated to implementing changes based on the community's feedback, Payday 3 still has a mixed review rating on Steam and only averages around 1,300 players concurrently on the platform.
For fans of the series that refuse to play Payday 3, its smash-hit predecessor Payday 2 was added to PS Plus Extra on September 30. This means anybody subscribed to the service's Extra tier can jump into the shooter for no extra cost. Unfortunately, there's a catch. The version available on the service is the Crimewave Edition, which was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015 with new content and improved graphics, but that specific edition also received a new patch update on the very same day the title made its debut on PS Plus. According to the official patch notes, update 1.54 removes expired licensed content from the game, but this does not apply to those who have purchased Payday 2 prior to the update.
Payday 2 Update Makes PS Plus Version Inferior
While the patch notes don't specify which licensed content was removed from the game, it's speculated that Payday 2's John Wick and Point Break DLC packs, which were released for free in 2014 and 2015, respectively, were likely removed in the latest update. For those who have picked up Payday 2's Crimewave Edition through PlayStation Plus, this will essentially be an inferior edition of the game as those who have previously purchased the game before the September 30 update will still be able to use the previously released DLC.
But as PlayStation Plus includes the Crimewave Edition, this does mean that players will still have access to all of the other Payday 2 DLC packs that were released. As for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, it's unclear if the licensed content will be removed from the game for those who have already downloaded and played through the service, or if it will only affect those who download the game post-patch 1.54.
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition Update 1.54 Patch Notes
-
LICENSED CONTENT
- Removed expired licensed content (does not affect owners who have purchased PAYDAY 2 prior to this update)
-
CHANGES
- PS5 compatibility option has been enabled.
- Removed extra space in 'PlayStation™ Network'.
- Added message to inform the player if save data has been corrupted.
- Removed pulsating white image from the loading screen which was partially covering the controller.
- Released
- August 13, 2013
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Overkill Software
- Publisher(s)
- 505 Games
- Engine
- Diesel Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Payday
- Number of Players
- 1-4
WHERE TO PLAY
PAYDAY 2 is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter that once again lets gamers don the masks of the original PAYDAY crew - Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf and Chains - as they descend on Washington DC for an epic crime spree.
The CRIMENET network offers a huge range of dynamic contracts, and players are free to choose anything from small-time convenience store hits or kidnappings, to big league cyber-crime or emptying out major bank vaults for that epic PAYDAY. While in DC, why not participate in the local community, and run a few political errands?
Up to four friends co-operate on the hits, and as the crew progresses the jobs become bigger, better and more rewarding. Along with earning more money and becoming a legendary criminal comes a character customization and crafting system that lets crews build and customize their own guns and gear.
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 23 GB (June 2023)
