Payday 3 Abandons Promised Offline Mode

Things are getting increasingly complicated on the Payday 3 front. Following the accidental price increase and the cancellation of the Dungeons & Dragons project, it has been confirmed that the long-awaited offline mode has been shelved. This development has caused significant disappointment among the fanbase.

Payday 3 Offline Mode Cancelled

Starbreeze’s “Our Future” livestream made a clear statement about the planned offline mode for Payday 3. General Manager Jonas Skantz stated that the feature was technically unfeasible and did not align with the studio’s current plans. Skantz stated that the team’s intentions were good, but limited resources forced them to prioritize the game’s core experience and current content.

Skantz also emphasized that Payday 3’s update model takes weeks, so rapid feedback and editing processes can only be handled through an online platform. This will allow the game to adapt more quickly to player feedback and continue to evolve as a “modern live service experience.”

The cancellation of the offline mode indicates that the game will evolve to a fully online-focused structure in the future. Starbreeze aims to establish a system that allows the team to quickly create content while waiting for players to adapt to this change.

This decision was followed by some bad news from the studio. Starbreeze announced that it will be parting ways with approximately 44 employees due to the canceled Dungeons & Dragons project and its decision to focus on the Payday series. Management stated that this step was “difficult but necessary” and would enable the studio to return to positive cash flow by 2026.

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