Details surrounding the long-anticipated Payday 3 have been few and far between since the first news of its confirmed development in February. With how popular the previous games within the franchise have proven to be over time, the demand and hype surrounding a potential successor is clear.
While fresh information surrounding a new Payday title have gone relatively cold, there could potentially be some relief for fans in the very near future. With ex-publisher 505 Games hosting a game showcase presentation on May 17, the stage is perfectly set for some huge updates.
The Past Success of Payday
The Payday franchise first launched in 2011, and sustained a loyal playerbase that carried over to the massively popular Payday 2, which released in 2013. The franchise is built upon co-operative and extremely calculated gameplay, in which players work strategically to master several heist scenarios: Ranging from jewelry stores, all the way to art museums and large banks.
Utilizing different perks and equipment to negotiate different avenues of approach, Payday players can tweak their loadouts to either suit lightweight stealth gameplay or heavy-duty aggressive tactics. In this way, the Payday games offer huge amounts of replayability and customization, fostering gameplay where the same mission can be played time and time again with different outcomes and ways of playing out. Although, with Payday 2 almost reaching a decade since release, it is fair to say that fans are yearning for a sequel that would bring with it a fresh batch of scenarios and customization options to enjoy and explore.
The 505 Games Showcase
Veteran publishing studio 505 games launched Payday 2, the fan-favorite of the franchise. The publisher is set to host a showcase presentation regarding key news of its upcoming titles on May 17, and many fans are wondering whether news of Payday 3 will accompany the showcase.
It should be noted that 505 sold the publishing rights of the Payday IP to another publishing studio called Starbreeze Games in 2016 for around $30 million. In this way, many might be less optimistic of seeing Payday 3 news at the upcoming showcase. However, this deal also included a contractual obligation for Starbreeze to give 33% of all revenue from Payday 3 to 505 upon its release, meaning 505 is still invested in showcasing and promoting the upcoming title, to a degree. When considering this, it actually seems quite likely that fans will receive news regarding Payday 3 at the 505 Games Showcase.
Currently, Payday 3 is billed to receive a 2023 release date. It has been officially confirmed that Payday 3 is set within New York, which is still rather close to the locational setting of its predecessor, with Payday 2 taking place in Washington D.C. In addition to this, it has been strongly teased that Payday 3 will have a much more modern setting, within a more contemporary and technologically advanced game world.
Realistically, this will do well to take this sequel beyond Payday 2, with the plethora of more advanced, specialized gadgets, and hacking opportunities that newer tech offers providing untold new gameplay opportunities. When it is also considered that 2023 will be the 10-year anniversary of Payday 2, the conditions seem perfect for a big reveal.
Payday 3 is currently in development with a release window of 2023.