Starbreeze Studios has reached an agreement to acquire the publishing rights for Payday 3, previously managed by Plaion. This decision aims to accelerate the development of content for the game, which has faced a complicated launch and currently has fewer than 1,000 concurrent players. Despite these difficulties, Payday 2 remains one of the most played titles on Steam, highlighting the gap between the two games in the franchise.
They are trying to fix the game, which is currently not working
According to an official statement from Starbreeze, “the time is right” to take on the responsibility of publishing Payday 3, released in September 2023. Thomas Lindgren, a board member of Starbreeze, stated that the agreement will “significantly accelerate our content development roadmap” and will also lay the groundwork for a long-term partnership with Plaion on future projects in the franchise.
Despite an optimistic speech, the situation of Payday 3 remains precarious. With the firing of the CEO of Starbreeze and the withdrawal of the game director just six months after the launch, the signs of internal problems are evident. This raises doubts about whether the absence of the previous publisher will solve the game’s issues, making the task of turning Payday 3 into a success monumental.
There are rumors that the removal of Plaion as a publisher could allow for faster delivery of updates, but there are still many uncertainties about whether Plaion was the real obstacle. The gaming community has expressed division in its opinions, and while there is hope, many believe that a complete rethinking of the franchise may be necessary to regain success.
