Payday franchise gaining fresh momentum

Troubled developer Starbreeze has released its financial report for 2020. While the new numbers show a 20% decline in y??ear-on-year sales, overall the studio's losses have? shrunk from previous years, suggesting that the Swedish developer might be on track to turn its fortunes around.

Over the course of 2020, Starbreeze managed to raise new capital and relieve itself of multiple debts, while its flagship title Payday 2 has seen huge growth on PC. The bank-raiding co-op shooter saw sales rise over 60% compared to ?2019, which has led to a Steam playerbase of 7.1 million - the largest single game community on the entire? platform.

Starbreeze acting CEO Tobias Sjögren is confident that this surge in Payday 2 interest will help the studio complete the long-in-development Payday 3, and hopes to sign a publisher soon.

"Starbreeze is a much stronger company today than it was one year ago," said Sjögren in the report. "We are hugely confident, thirsting for revenge and thrilled to be able to focus to the max on developing our IP with Payday front and center. With expanded development capacity and continued good demand for everything Payday, we are in prime position for future growth."

Starbreeze has faced continued peril in recent years. The company initially dodged insolvency in 2018 with a strict re-management structure, but fell hard following the disastrous launch of Overkill's The Walking Dead. Having survived 2020 - a year that saw many companies in all industries permanently shuttered - it seems that Starbreeze simply refuses to die, determined to see that Payday 3 is completed, publishe?d, and becomes a hit, perhaps pulling the studio back from the brink of oblivion.

Starbreeze losses shrink to $15.8m and Payday co??ntinues ??to grow [GamesIndustry.biz]

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I wonder who will end up with this IP if it doesn't work out?

In case you haven't heard, Swedish-based Starbreeze Studios is in trouble. Although the publisher hasn't had it easy for some time, Overkill's The Walking Dead, which was revealed in 2014, was a complete flop in every sense of the phrase, didn't help. Their new strategy to save the company is to fragment the company and bet pretty much everything on Payday 3, which is due sometime in 2022 or 2023.

Until then, there's Payday 2. Credited with originally saving the company after the acquisition of Overkill in 2012, Payday 2 has been trucking along since 2013, and is still in operation on multiple platforms like PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One. After a massive hiatus due to the aforementioned financial situation, Payday 2 is once again getting DLC. Paid DLC, that is.

This main event is called "Border Crossing Heist," and is due out on November 7 alongside of the free Silk Road update; which brings a new outfit mechanic (plus six suits) into the fray, as well as UI improvements. The rest will be broken up into paid DLCs beyond the scope of the free update, which can be purchased all together for $9.99 in a bundle, or piecemeal?? (the heist is $6.99, with 20 premium costumes and mods going for $2.99 each).

It's become clear that Payday 2 is helping Starbreeze get th??rough the next two to three years: let's see if it pans out. If not, someone will no doubt end up buying the IP. A publisher like ?EA or Ubisoft would snatch it right up.

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Secret secret, I've got a secret!

With some games, finishing the campaign is just the beginning. You can get the "ending," but is that really the end? For Payday 2, players have been searching for the past five years to unlock its super secret ending and the journey has now completed. YouTuber General McBadass has uploaded a step-by-step guide to unlocking this hi??dden ending for everyone to rep??licate.

If you don't want the ending spoil??ed, I'd suggest not watching the below video. A quick summary is that you'll need to put together a disk full of runes, then grab a medallion and play nine specific keys on a keyboard. After that, you'll boot up the White House mission with ot??her players that have completed the same steps and will be able to remove a highlighted painting to access a lower vault.

Doing so will lead you to codes that need to be decrypted? while demo?ns attack you (just go with it). A character known as "The Dentist" will explain some backstory and then needs to be shot. Finally, you'll place gold bars on specific floor tiles before the game fades to white and the ending scene plays.

However people came to this conclusion is beyond me. I've never been one for ARGs, so I'm just baffled people were able to put obscure clues together to reach this ending. At least the final mystery of Payday 2 is now solved just in time to check out Overkill's Walking Dead game...

After five years, players have reached Payday 2's secret ending [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

[Payday 2] How to unlock the Secret [General McBadass via YouTube]

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Fun in the sun

Reservoir Dogs, a movie where some men argue about tipp??ing and then almost all of them die, is the film that started Quentin Tarantino's ascent into prominence. Nearly 26 years later, a ?very popular video game is paying homage.

Payday 2 just added a free Reservoir Dogs-themed heist. The clowns and jokers of the Payday gang are headed to Tinsel Town to try their hand at robbing those banks. The add-on come?s with a Union 5.56 rifle, an Al??abama Razor melee weapon, and three masks.

But, and this is truly what's important, developer Overkill created Payday's version of the infamous ear scene from Reservoir Dogs:

It's okay! It's got some music that probably skirts paying royalties to Stealers Wheel, and it's kinda weird seeing some Sam Fisher-lookin' dude in the chair. But, still, it gets the point across. That guy's losin' an?? ear.

Because we all wanna see i?t now, here's the original:

Reservoir Dogs Heist [Overkill Software]

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Shoot and loot

OVERKILL's co-op bank heist game, PAYDAY 2, will be hitting the Switch on February 23, 2018 for Europe and February 27, 2018 in North and South America. You'll be able to grab the game either digitally or physically or perhaps both if you're crazy. The Switch port will feature local co-op with up to four Switch consoles, so you and your friends can play even when the internet decides to stop cooperatin??g.

PAYDAY 2™ coming to the Nintendo Switch System in ?February [Starbreeze Studios]

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The beta is live for Vive owners

Payday 2 is getting virtual reality support next year, but if you'd like to try that out now and you have a Vive, that's an option. The first beta for Payday 2 VR went live today. Here's how to opt in:

• Find Payday 2 in your Steam library and right-click - select Properties.
• In the Properties window - select the tab called "BETAS."
• In the drop down menu in the BETAS tab - select "open_vr_beta" and close the window.

Once activated, you'll be coming in fresh with a new save file. Overkill recommends a "GTX 980 or better" to run the game and has a how-to-play guide co??vering the new controls. Based on the trailer, this looks eve??n better than I was expecting. The basic premise of heists in VR just works for me.

It would be nice to see alternate movement options for folks who can handle unrestricted locomotion in VR, but Overkill is off to a good start here. The fact that this is free for Payday 2 owners and VR and non-VR players can team up togethe??r is commendable. This stuff usually comes at a premium.

PAYDAY 2 VR is now finally live [Steam]

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Nab this if you're interested in Payday 2 VR

For a limited time, Overkill Software is giving away five million copies of its co-op heist shooter Payday 2 on Steam. It's a game people love, hate, an?d love to hate, but there's fun to be had with friends.

It's worth reiterating that the studio is adding VR with a free upda?te later this year, so if you nab the base game today for free, you'll be good to go. The VR and non-VR versions wil??l even have cross-play.

Payday 2 [Steam]

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Basically a steal...

It seems like Payday 2 just won't go away. After a surprise announcement for the Swit?ch, Overkill Software is now giving the PC version an ??"Ultimate" edition. Set to launch on June 8 for $45, this version of the game will, naturally, bundle all existing DLC into one package to get you jumped started on your heists.

If you already own some of the previous DLC, you'll be given a discount on Steam to buy ??????????????????????????the upgrade. All the DLC is also currently 85% off until the release of the "Ultimate" edition, after which it will go away and you'll be left with the full fat upgrade.

If you think this means that Payday 2 will be getting no further support, then you're wron??g! Overkill has stated that they intend to push support for their shooter well into 2018. Any extra updates beyond the "Ultimate" edition will be offered for free to everyone. They are also working on getting these updates to console owners, though nothing has been stated about t??hat just yet.

Overkill Software to Remove All Payday 2 DLC from St?eam Store for Ultimate Edition; Future Updates Will Be Free [GameZone]

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2 + 2 = Half-Life 3 Confirmed!

I know Humble Bundle has offered things like books in the past, but I don't believe I've ever seen them pre-selling tickets to an upcoming film. There is a first time for everything, though. Humble, alongside Starbreeze Studios, is giving us the John Wick bundle that includes the first film al?ongside two tickets to the upcoming sequel.

For the cheapest tier, you'll receive Payday 2 and some small DLC, including a John Wick-inspired gun pack (because nothing screams John Wick like bank heists...). For $6 you'll get the "Game of the Year" edition of Payday 2 and some mask DLC (plus the previous tier). $14 sees them throwing in Dead By Daylight, $25 gets you a pre-order for the John Wick Chronicles VR game, and $45 nets you the first film and the tickets for the new one (it should be noted that tickets ar??e limited to the first 5,000 ??purchases and are for AMC or Regal theaters only).

Now, I'm not going to totally crap on John Wick as it was a decent film. The action was shot pretty well and I really liked how regular action movie tropes were thrown out the wind??ow. Sadly, the main villain then succumbs to stupid syndrome and begins complaining about how no one can kill John, despite having the guy knocked ou??t right in front of him. I suppose there just has to be a totally contrived and thrown-together finale in every film.

Still, $45 seems a bit insane for three games (one of which isn't even out yet) and a movie. I mean, you can get the 4K Blu-ray of the first film for $15 on Amazon and Dead By Daylight routinely goes on sale for cheap. I've heard Payday 2 is??n't worth a damn anymore, but with Starbreeze handling the game, maybe eve??rything has changed. Still, I know I've seen the "Game of the Year" version for $5 during a Steam sale.

Supporting charity is always a nice thing, so maybe I'm just being too frugal about this. Well, if you feel like biting the bullet, you only have a few more days to get a shot at this deal. If you don't feel like going through Humble Bundle, pre-ordering the John Wick Chronicles game on Steam will net you Payday 2 and the John Wick DLC for a short time.

Humble Starbreeze Studios Bundle Presents John Wick [Humble Bundle]

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Also drops microtransactions

In a release published today celebrating Payday 2's 100th balance update, Overkill Software announced that it has fully acquired the rights to the Payday franchise from publisher 505 Games. Any future installments will be the exclusive property of the developer and its parent company Starbreeze. The release also confirmed the existence of Payday 3, which was corroborated by Overkill Software's Almir Listo in an email to Destructoid. "As per the press release, we're confirming it's e?xistence, but that's it - no more," Listo said.

"After the transaction Starbreeze will own the full rights to the Payday-franchise for any future developments or commercialization," the release said. "Furthermore, 505 Games will retain a 33% revenue share of Starbreeze's net revenues from future sales of Payday 3 capped at 40 million USD, after Starbreeze has fully recouped its development and marketing costs." The transaction was conducted through shares in Starbreeze, giving 505 Games 4.3% of the company and 1.4% of controlling votes.

Listo also broke down the details of the 100th update on the company's Steam page. "We're giving away a community grenade, the skills tree and we're making the black market free for everyone going forward. We will continue to develop stuff for Payday 2 for another 18 months. We're excited to co??ntinue working on the game until the end of 2017!"

That essentially means Payday 2 will have no microtransactions going forward. I'm all for that -- more free content is always a good thing. However, the Steam version stil?l?? has over $140 of DLC available for purchase, so you can still give Overkill Software a big pile of cash if you want.

A big pile of cash that 505 Games is no longer entitled to. As of May 1, 2016, all money earned from Payday 2 on Steam belongs to Starbreeze. The two companies will continue to split revenue from the PS4 and Xbox One ports of Payday 2. Curiously, no mention is made of the last-generation ports. Maybe it's because nobody's out there buying PS3 copies of Payday 2?

The post Starbreeze acquires Payday IP, confirms Payday 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

This costing $7 really gets my goat

Remember last year, when Payday 2 developer Overkill introduced microtransactions to its game, despite promising it never would? Remember the long trail of blunders and screw-ups it made after that? Well it wants you to forget all that, and instead buy the new DLC based off of uh… Goat Simulator.

The trail??er above sure is something. It has a goat! A goat doing silly things! That was funny before, right?!

Anyway, The Goat Simulator Heist includes a new two-day heist, one new shotgun, four new melee weapons, four masks, four patterns, four materials, five new achievements, two new songs by Simon Viklund, and one cheesed off fanbase. Again.

I’m sure t??his DLC appeals? to somebody out there; it’s memes after all.

But here’s the thing: paid DLC is fine by me. Microtransactions, while easily abused, are also alright with me. Having both of those things in a game that already costs money (and has lots of paid DLC already) is triple-dipping on a community tha??t is tired of being s?queezed for cash at every turn.

Add in the f??act that this paid DLC is based on an almost two-year-old joke, and I reckon it's ??safe to say that this entire thing is, in my oh-so-humble opinion, taking the piss.

We’re at the point where Overkill could have started 2016 strongly to begin to make up for its past mistakes… and then paid Goat Simulator DLC happens instead. Fab.

The Goat Simulator Heist will be available on Ja??nuary 14, costing ?$7.99. 

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Still not ditching microtransactions

Last week Payday 2 developer Overkill had a sit down to discuss various thi?ng??s with their Steam community moderators, who had gone on strike following even further tweaks to the game’s controversial new microtransactions.

Now Overkill has taken to their own steam forums to make an apology for uh… something. They never explicitly mention the microtransactions that caused this mess for them in the first place. They simply apologise for something, say they’ll fix it somehow, and then go on to talk about all the commu??nity figureheads they’l?l be talking to shortly.

The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging in the history of this community. Players have been angry with us, media have written about us en masse and our volunteer moderators went on strike. For all the distress we've caused the past few weeks, I'd just like to ??take the time and say that we’re sorry. We've done a lot of things right in the past, but these past few weeks we screwed up.

We need to get better at many things, and we will do our best to improve as soon as po??ssib?le.

For some, this apology might well be enough. It’s nice to see a company at least acknowledge they’ve made a mistake, which God knows doesn’t happen enough in the games indus?try. It wouldn’t be fair not to give credit where it’s due, so at least Overkill know they’ve been shitty the past few weeks.

The problem I personally have with this statement is that isn’??t saying anything we didn’t already know from their interview with the steam moderators. Overkill knows they’ve screwed up, but it ?seem to believe it was a problem of simply not explaining the changes well enough to players, as opposed to going against their previous word and implementing those changes in the first place.

They acknowledge the “distress” they have caused, but without putting concrete plans in place to actually fix the problem, the apology is pointless. They even discuss an apparently undocumented conversation they had with the Steam community moderators, in which they gave suggestions on how to 'improve' the microtransactions and the underwhelming Completely Overkill pack. So??unds good, right?

Except then Overkill sta??te that although they've had these suggestions and are "discussing" them, there is no promise they or any other change will actually be made:

Today we had a meeting with Ashley and Jones, two of our volunteer moderators. Ashley and Jones has been collecting questions from the community that we discussed during the meeting. Two of the topics were stat boosts and the latest COP [Completely Overkill Pack] reward. We're currently looking into what we can do to make up for the final COP-reward. Ashley and Jones gave several suggestions from the community that we are currently discussing internally. Our main goal is to try to find a way to reduce or remove the random elements of the final reward, whatever that reward will be.

Regarding stat boosts, Ashley and Jones suggested that we introduce something similar to StatTrak as part of future safes, a feature used in CS:GO in their cases. This is something we've been thinking about as well, and something that we will discuss going forward. I must stress however that we cannot currently make any promises but these are things we will be discussing as we move forward.

The big problem isn’t Overkill not listening to their game’s co?mmunity (althoug?h that is certainly a problem); their big problem is the entire weapon skin drop system that pissed everyone off in the first place. If their apology was genuine, that system would no longer be there. Yet it is, and there are no promises to change them.

I also think it's funny that after this non-apology they then describe at length the PR campaign they will be doing to try and sweep all of this co??ntroversy under the rug. But that's a whole other complaint for another day.

Just come on, Overkill. Payday 2 is a great game, but you keep making these really basic mistakes that you don't want ?to admit to. ?That is why people are angry.

The post Overkill: ‘For all the distress we’ve caused the past few weeks… we’re sorry’ appeared first on Destructoid.

In a long discussion with Steam mods

Sit down and get comfortable, ladies and gentlemen, for the next gripping chapter of the ‘When Will Overkill Stop Bei??ng Shitty’ Chroni??cles begins now!

You may remember a while ago that the Payday 2 Steam community moderators went on strike after having to not only put up with Overkill making people angry time and time again, but also wi??th the resulting death threats aimed towards them from people who think that’s a totally reasonable and okay thing to do to unpaid volunteers (spoilers: ?it isn't).

As part of the strike, the moderators wanted to have a f??rank and open discussion with Overkill about its recent actions, and surprisingly that’s actually happened. Sort of. Up top you can watch a two-hour long?? interview with Overkill’s Almir Listo, which ultimately devolves into Listo conveniently dodging every question posed to him.

The moderators and Listo discuss everything that’s gone down at Overkill in the last couple of months, including the Crimefest update that introduced microtransactions, as well as the Completely Overkill Pack which resulted in the moderator strike.

T?he main thing to take away from this is that Listo seems to believe the problem wasn’t Overkill lying about microtransactions, nor w??as it basing the reward for buying a $20 pack months ago on the same microtransaction weapon skins that have had such a negative reception. He argues that he simply didn’t communicate what Overkill is doing with the game well enough:

We’ve always?? had a very strong relationship with our core community, and the last few months it feels like that’s slipped away. And I’m incredibly saddened by that, y’know? And we have to work hard to regain the trust that was lost.

Worth noting that none of that “regaining trust” seems to include removing the microtransaction system. In fact, he seems to s??uggest he still thinks microtransactions are a good thing, even if he does admit he doesn’t consider them a success:

We could’ve done much better to make people feel appreciated because it’s not a success if people are angry. That’s a bad thing, that’s a real?ly, really bad thing. It doesn’t matter how good of a feature yo?u release, if people are angry, they’re angry, and that’s what people are going to focus on.

Now there are two ways to take this. First one, and the one I personally? lean toward, is that this is just PR guff that won’t result in any meaningful change at Overkill. Listo comes across in this interview as very much wanting just to placate the moderators enough without committing to any future course of ??action that would make the players happy.

The other way to take this is that maybe it is a sign of things changing. Overkill has always been a rather vocal developer, yet it's never been good at taking in player feedback. The fact this interview happened with the community could be a sign that it is trying to make that ??move from just telling players what’s what to being more communicative in the future.

So, reckon things are chan?ging at Overkill, or will it just stick its head in the sand as usual?

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Steam forum mods have gone on strike

Oh Overkill. Overkill, Overkill, Overkill. It may have been a few weeks since the fiasco surrounding you introducing microtransactions to Payday 2, despite making extensive promises you wouldn’t, but trust me when I say people are still pissed at you for it, and the latest upda??te w?ill certainly not make people dislike you any less than they do right now.

The latest update introduces “Team Boosts”, which will give cash and XP bonuses to everybody you complete a heist with. The more players on a team with that boost, the better the effect is. The catch is that these boosts are part of the weapon skin system that?? requires? you to pay for drills to unlock.

That’s right, not only do you now have weapon boosts that make you better at hogging all the enemies if you pay for it, you also have the chance to level up and earn cash a whole lot easier. Cash can be used to?? unlock perks and new weapons, so this new skin is basically boosting you to be better in a?ll areas of the game if you cough up.

Another part of the update is the Completely Overkill Safe, an item given to those who bought the Completely Overkill pack forever ago. It includes one of ??25 weapon skins and seven bits of DLC (out of the 27 up for sale). That sounds good, but the skin rarity and quality are randomised, s?o you could’ve waited eight months to get an awful skin for a gun you don’t use while someone who bought the exact same pack could get an utterly fantastic one they use all the time.

Also, you’d assume people who supported Overkill by buying the Completely Overkill pack would likely already own the DLC they’ve just been given, so the entire thing is nowhere near as good as it&rs?quo;s made out to be. Huzzah!

This update has caused another uproar in the Payday 2 community, and rightly so. Even the Steam forum moderators, who have had to try and keep things in check and been subjected to death threats during the microtransaction controversy, have gone on strike until Overkill explains what?? the hell it's doing:

I like to believe that I am not unreasonable but unfortunately the situation constantly degraded. We will no longer refuse to ??work if we are given a public interview with a member of Overkill. We want to be heard and see what Overkill are willing to do to fix the situati?on.

Something tells me throwing a few weapon skins o??ut won’t fix this for Overkill.

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Today's AMA isn't going well

There's a shitstorm going on at the Payday subreddit today, and for good reason -- the devs have recently implemented microtransactions after they promised they wouldn't. This particular Category 5 is based on an AMA held by Overkill producer Almir Listo, which fans are going crazy over.

For starters, Listo deflects nearly every well-intentioned question regarding the implementation of microtransactions, and attempts to directly PR-speak the community, which is a bizarre tactic. He also outright blames the media for misrepresenting the topic in some sort of desperate straw-man maneuver, when it's clear to practically everyone that this was implemented in one of the poorest ways possible (basically in the?? dead of night under the guise of an event called the "Black Market Update").

Despite the blowback though, the microtransactions are here to stay. Listo confirms this in the AMA, noting, "We understand that there is a lot of fury, anger and disappointment with us adding this. From an economical standpoint however, completely based on statistics, we can already see that the Black Mar??ket update is working as we intended."

The thing is, Overkill will probably stand to make a lot of money on this system, preying on whales and ??casual players, leaving their dedicated fanbase in the dust. While I don't have an inherent issue with microtransactions in games where they're easily ignored, the fact that they already promised that they wouldn't implement them, and proceeded to ignore their dedicated community with tone deaf, canned responses is troubling.

The real question is -- wi?ll it be worth it in the long term if they?? don't budge on this.

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But it doesn't really change much

Remember last week, when Overkill went back on its multiple promises that it would never add microtransactions to Payday 2? Remember the uproar that happened because of it, and right?ly so? Well, it looks like Overkill has lis?tened and acted on feedback. Kind of.

In?? day six of the Crimefest event, Overkill has added those infamous drills to the normal loot drops. You’re now able to earn the drills to get the pay-to-win ??weapon skins just by playing, and they’re rewarded to players in much the same way as any other item in the game.

It goes a way to apologizing to the players who have been angered by the initial update, but who knows whether it will be enough to get people to go back to Payday 2. It&?rsquo;s worth pointing out we don’t know how rare these drops are going to be for players, so it’s not like they’re ditching the scheme altogether.

If anything, this is jus?t making the carrot all the tastier looking by teasing you every once in a while with what is in the safe, hoping you’ll be hooked enough to buy some more drills. Plus the fact there are still microtransactions in a game that people were previously promised would never have them is still a pretty big kick in the teeth.

Also in day six of Crimefest is a reworked version of the popular First World Bank from the first Payday game. The entire heist is now possible to complete stealthily and has multiple goals to put it more in line with other heists in Payday 2.

That’s a positive for those who were??n’t driven away by Ov??erkill lying, right? Right?

The post Payday 2’s latest update addresses complaints about the microtransactions appeared first on Destructoid.

Shame on you if you thought otherwise!

Payday 2 developer Overkill once said, "We've made it clear that Payday 2 will have no microtransactions whatsoever (shame on you if you thought otherwise!)," which was true until today??'s update. 

The Black Market update has added the ability to earn safes at the end of matches that can only be opened with a drill item that costs $2.49 in real-life money. There is currently no way to earn drills just? by playing the game. These safes contain exclusive weapon skins which may boost stats or grant special modifi?cations to your guns. 

Payday 2 currently has over 137,000 reviews on Steam with a very positive rating overall, but new reviews are being used to vent by players frustrated with Overkill going back on its word on microtransactions, as moderators are apparently deleting negative feedback on the Steam group, according to one review.

The Payday 2 subreddit is also filled with thread after thread of pissed off players, with the top post simp??ly just saying "Fuck you Overkill" and another suggests changing the subreddit name to?? "Pay2day."

This isn't the first time Overkill has taken heat for Payday 2, considering the Xbox One version of the game still isn't fixed after having issues for the past four months. When asked about the last-generation console versions -- which also had issues -- one of the devs angrily replied, "if a game I really love isn't working on consoles, I'd switch to oth??er platforms and fucking play it there."

Overkill and 505 Games have some explaining to do to fans of Payday 2, but I have a sneaking suspicion that microtransactions are here to stay, much like they are in Counter-Strike: GO, and Team Fortress 2. I j??ust don't know that the ??playerbase will be. 

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Insert some pun ending in Jailhouse Rock

Don’t blink, or you might just miss Overkill release some new content for Payday 2. Whoops, there goes another... and another... Sod it, let’s just look at this newest one: The Golden Grin Casino.

With swanky as hell music, promises of a taking Elvis hostage, and copious gambling, The Golden Grin Casino is the last heist to feature ‘The Dentist,’ played by Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito. It will also introduce a new playable character who sounds deci??dedly Russian, but my language skills aren’t perfect.

The Golden Grin Casino will be released on June 25. The Crimewave edition of the game, which includes the last year’s worth of D?LC, is being released on June 16, so whether it will include this heist isn’t entirely known just yet.

The post Payday 2’s next heist takes on Vegas appeared first on Destructoid.

That drill

Crime doesn't have a slow season. You strike when opportunity presents itself. If that means getting your ass out of bed on Christmas morning ??and proverbia??lly crossing the Delaware River, you do it.

But, all that doesn't mean there isn't room for some holiday cheer. The masked culprits of Payday 2 want ?to spread good ??tidings through song by reminding everyone that maybe crime pays -- it just comes with its own unique set of hardships.

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Whoa!

Later today you'll find a surprise waiting in Payday 2 -- Keanu Reeves.

To promote Reeves' newest film, John Wick, Lionsgate has partnered up with Starbreeze to release a John Wick character as free DLC on Steam. He'll come with a new perk system called "Hitman," which focuses on dual wieldi?ng weapons.

As a side note, if you buy a ticket to the movie on Fandango starting today, you can get Payday 2 for Steam for free.

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I'm holding out for Tony

Overkill Software has teamed up with Dennaton Games for Hotline Miami-themed DLC for Payday 2, whi?ch releases tomorrow on Stea??m for $6.99. Here's more info in the mean time.

Besides the screenshot above, there's a mini website for the collaboration to look over -- it features weapons that'll be instantly familiar to Hotline players and some back story.

This new mission will put Payday 2 one step? closer to finding and rescuin??g Old Hoxton.

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Releasing September 30

Overkill Software and Dennaton Games are teaming up for Payday 2 DLC based on Hotline Miami.

It's uncl??ear what all is included here beyond a heist --?? they can get away with offering the slimmest of details and we'll still be interested -- but the add-on hits Steam on September 30, 2014.

According to an FAQ, Overkill went for this "because we ... f***ing love Hotline Miami."

Works for me! T?here's a trailer, too. Give it a momen??t and you shall be rewarded.

PAYDAY 2: Hotline Miami DLC - Trailer released! [Steam]

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'It's all on good terms'

Payday 2 game director David Goldfarb, formerly of DICE, has left Overkill Software to start a studio of his own, reports Polygon. It's here he'll be able ??to escape big-team, AAA development at long last. "It doesn't matter who I work with: the desire was never to make other people's games, no matter how good they are," he explained.

Goldfarb hop?es to find genres he can subvert. "To do that I can't be working for people in the way that I was, I just don't want any of that shit." His next project might be a role-playing game -- he loves those -- but "no MOBAs, no comic book-styled art, no pixel art."

"It just felt like the right time," he said of the departure from Overkill. "It's all on good terms and I think [the studi??o] is well positioned to succeed. They're doing great. They'll continue to succeed as the last Steam sales indicate. Super smart people over there."

Payday 2 lead leaves AAA to start indie studio [Polygon]

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Gage Shotgun Pack

Payday 2 has its seventh bit of DLC, the Gage Shotgun Pack. In it you'll find four masks, patterns, materials, melee weapo??ns, and shotguns. Twelve achievements, too.?? 

Call me old school, but I don't feel compelled to drop five bucks on a few new guns, patterns, masks, and melee weapons. Not when the existing ones work just fine. Adding new heists is one thing. This? Not a fan.

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The biggest job yet

Payday 2's heists are much shorter than the first game's or broken up into multi-day sections that allow for some reprieve. I've played levels in the first Payday with equal??ly unskilled, low-level friends for close to an hour, holding out against all odds before finally failing, our efforts for naugh?t. 

If you missed that slow mounting tension as ammo supplies dwindle and the onslaught of hundreds of policemen continues, Payday 2's The Big Bank DLC is for you.

The Benevolent Bank is a big job, given to you by The Dentist, as played by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito. With The Dentist comes the pre-planning tab, w??hich lets you set up certain elements of the lengthier heist to your liking. Provided you get everyone in it and attentiv??e.

Even if you do??n't draw up recommended routes on the blueprints like you're John Madden (or if your teammates couldn't be arsed to pay attention), the pre-planning stage is still useful. Now you can choose drop points for assets like ammo and doctor bags. And these placements don't have one ideal spot that you're wasting your time setting over and over? because in the pre-planning you can also change your mode of entry into the giant vault (thermite or The Beast drill) and means of escape (I like driving a bus through the wall).

These choices require calling in favors, of whic?h the entire team is allotted ten, and spending some cash. If you're a penny pincher, you can stick with default escape and breach plans. The default way into the vault, unless you're good enough to stealth it, is The Beast, a multi-part drill hidden in a giant pink piggy bank that needs to be dropped from a crane and into the bank lobby.

I've still not been able to successfully stealth the Big Bank, even playing on teams of much more seasoned players. Still, you should try for stealth as long as possible, just because of the length of the heist. There's a complicated door to get through even before you get to the vault, and a few variables that change arbitrarily, as is typical with Payday missions (server room location, needing to access a maintenance room on the roof to get through the first door)??.

Then there's getting into and holding out in the big vault long enough to steal everything. The weird thing about playing Payday 2 at this point is that unless you're playing with friends, or an?? avid player yourself, you're probably going to end up on skilled teams with various upgrades who will handle the bulk of the duties required to get through a heist. I found myself a hired gun and a pack mule typically (for securing all the loot).

Yet even if you're not stealing key cards, hacking servers, or quickly unlocking cages, you're still necessary, especially on higher difficulties. You'll occasionally even find yourself in position of savior, rescuing downed allies, or you can at least drop an ammo bag in the vault. Meanwhi??le, you're learning the ins and outs of the levle and sharing that accumulated knowle??dge with whomever you play with next.

The other additions with the DLC -- masks and guns and whatnot -- are welcomed, but the main draw here is the new heist, which those who preferred the original game will appreciat??e. There is more tension to longer jobs. As it goes on, m??ore is at stake. Not just your in-game money, but your real world time, which I value even more.

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This year, presumably

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition will? appear on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 at some point, Overkill Software and publisher 505 Games announced today.

Details for these ports of the co-op heist title were unusually sparse, although there was mention of the package including "e??nhanced features and a stash of new bonus content."

Whether or not these versions are worthwhile compared to Payday 2 on PC will depend upon how frequently they receive new content. But given the rate at which developers can push updates on PS4 and Xbox One compared to last-generation consoles, this upcoming Crimewave Edition shouldn't?? be too far beh??ind. Especially if it's already up to date at launch.

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Play it at E3, even if you don't have a badge!

Payday 2's Big Bank downloadable content will hit Steam players on June 17 for $6.99. This is the game's largest heist to date. Players will be taking down the Benevolent Bank, dealing with better guards, rewards, and a brand new contact: The Dentist.

Develoeper Overkill Software will be showing off their latest at E3, but it's going to be at the West Ha??ll entrance. Meaning you the public can totally go check out it. Plus they'll be giving out prizes like swag, Logitech kits, Nvidia Titan gra??phic cards, and more.

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Watch you gold fillings

When Payday 2's Big Bank Heist is available for download on June 17, there will be a new mission contact in the mix. While he may be fresh to Payday playe??rs, he's a well-known and calculated voice in the crime world of other entertainment mediums.

Breaking Bad's Gustavo Fring will assume the role of The Dentist, an entrepreneur that figured out it's more lucrative to extract money from bank vaults than teeth from mouths. For a glimpse as to what he'll bring to the game, this live a??ction short paints a rather clear picture of his intentions.

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PS+ PSA

PS3 owners should plan for a Payday 2 play date tomorrow. It's the next free game in this month's offering for PS Plus users. It's a great co-op game and it bei?ng free for PS+ users should hopefully make it easier to rope your pals into a game.

TxK, the sequel to the Atari Jaguar Tempest 2000 from its original creator, is also going on sale? for Vita owners tomorrow. It will be 20% off ($7.99) this week.

After going back to Lumines: Electronic Symphony for the first time in a year an?d a half last night, I'm in the mood for more colorful, rhythmic, zen-inducing gameplay.

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