Payday 3 Devs Thank Community In Official Blog Post

Payday 3 Free Weekend A Huge Success, 320,000 Players Steal $601 Billion Published Nov 13, 2026, 6:39 AM EST James Lucas is the Lead Photo Editor at TheGamer and has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com The Payday 3 comeback is finally real. I've been screaming from the rooftops to anyone who will listen (usually annoyed colleagues and uninterested friends) for some time now that the game is good, and certainly in a better state than it launched in. The free weekend just proved that, as the team pulled in over 320,000 players—250,000 of which were new to the game. "Thank you," Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson said in a new blog post. "Thank you to the veterans who carried a crew of rookies through their first heist (you were kind, supportive, and you welcomed the new recruits into our community). Thank you to the rookies who tripped every alarm in the building, but still returned for more! Thank you to everyone who recommended the game to a friend, and convinced them it was worth their time. You turned a free weekend into something far bigger than we planned for." Payday 3 Boss Teases A November Surprise "You Are Going To Like" Kristjansson openly admits that a year ago, Payday 3 would never have been able to pull off a free weekend this successful; the game "had not lived up to what you expect from this studio." But as over 320,000 players worked together to fill their duffel bags with $600 billion in cash, "enough to make most countries nervous," the team promises that they aren't stopping here. "This year was about earning your trust back. Next year is about rewarding it," Kristjansson said. "To everyone who joined us for the first time: welcome to the crew. You have arrived at a good moment. To everyone who has been with us since the beginning: you kept this game alive when it would have been easier to walk away, and what comes next is built on what you told us. "We are not slowing down. Regular updates will keep coming, we will keep showing our work, and we will keep listening, because that is what got us here. And we are not waiting for the new year. Something is landing later this month that we think you are going to like. Keep an eye on our channels." 8.9 Million Loot Bags And 115 Million Cops "Retired": The Stats Aside from thanking the community and promising more updates to come, the Payday 3 team also shared some juicy stats. 320,000 players means a lot of carnage, after all, even if they only had a weekend to swipe as much jewelry as they possibly could. 725,671 heists were pulled off. Players stole $601.6 billion in cash. The community secured 8.9 million loot bags. Everyone went really Breaking Bad this weekend, securing 527,286 bags of meth. 100,996 heists were completed in full stealth. 504,538 players were taken into custody. The comeback was complete with 115 million "law enforcement retired", and 55% of those kills were headshots. Players spent 542,000 hours—equal to 62 years—heisting in just four days. No Rest For The Wicked was easily the most popular heist, started over 700,000 times, but the biggest score was First World Bank, accounting for $88.9 billion. "The moment that got us, though, was Sunday night. At 20:39 CET, over 22,000 of you were in the game at the same time. That is way more than our usual peak, and we watched it climb all weekend," Kristjanssons said. Released September 21, 2023 ESRB M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language Developer(s) Overkill Software Publisher(s) Starbreeze Studios, Prime Matter Engine Unreal Engine 4 Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op Cross-Platform Play PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S