Payday 3 vs. Payday 2: A Struggle for Player Approval
A new financial analysis reveals that Payday 3 continues to lag behind its predecessor, Payday 2, as developer Starbreeze Studios navigates a tumultuous launch and performance period. Despite hopeful projections, the numbers suggest that Payday 3 has yet to win over the player base that brought its predecessor immense popularity.
Launch and Initial Reception
Since its launch in September 2023, Payday 3 has faced significant hurdles. On Steam, the game has garnered a “Mixed” overall rating, with a peak of only 384 concurrent players in a recent 24-hour period. Contrastingly, Payday 2 demonstrates remarkable longevity, even now maintaining tens of thousands of active players daily. At its launch, Payday 3 peaked at nearly 78,000 players, but by November 2023, that number fell to just over 5,000—a significant drop that foreshadowed the challenges ahead.
Financial Performance Insights
In Starbreeze’s most recent investor report, the financial details of both games were highlighted. For the entirety of 2025, Payday 3 generated sales of 76.5 million SEK (approximately $8.4 million USD), outperforming Payday 2, which brought in 50.1 million SEK ($5.6 million USD). However, in the latter quarter of that year, Payday 2 outshone its successor with 14.8 million SEK ($1.6 million USD) compared to Payday 3‘s 8 million SEK ($880,000 USD). Strikingly, while Payday 2 experienced a year-on-year increase from 41.8 million SEK ($4.6 million USD) in 2024 to 50.1 million SEK in 2025, Payday 3 saw a decline from 82.9 million SEK ($9.1 million USD) in the previous year.
Starbreeze’s Strategic Moves
The developer’s acquisition of the publishing rights to Payday 3 in mid-2025 was intended to boost content creation and player engagement. The game has seen major updates, including the Party Powder heist and a Skills 2.0 overhaul aimed at revitalizing gameplay. The release of Payday 3 on PS Plus also opened the doors to new gamers, but it has yet to translate into robust player retention or positive feedback.
Despite some success in sales, Starbreeze experienced a net loss of 402.7 million SEK ($44.3 million USD) in 2025, compared to a 317.7 million SEK ($34.9 million USD) loss in 2024. While overall sales increased from 186 million SEK ($20.4 million USD) in 2024 to 221 million SEK in 2025, the escalating losses highlight underlying issues within the company.
Challenges Ahead
Fans of the Payday series are aware of the recent downturns at Starbreeze. The studio made headlines by canceling its Dungeons & Dragons project, which had been announced in 2023, and has since faced layoffs, further demonstrating its unstable situation.
The financial report indicates that Starbreeze is aware of its challenges in improving the player experience in Payday 3. The company acknowledged the need to “strengthen trust with players,” indicating this is a long-term effort that may not yield immediate results.
The Future of the Franchise
As Payday 2 continues to celebrate sustained popularity, it remains to be seen whether Payday 3 can turn the tide in its favor. Current player data from SteamDB indicates that Payday 2 still enjoys a 24-hour player peak of over 25,000, a significant figure for a game over a decade old. The established success of Payday 2 poses a tough challenge for its newest counterpart.
In late 2025, Starbreeze partnered with Sidetrack Games to ensure Payday 2 receives ongoing quality-of-life updates while also seeking input from players through surveys. Time will determine if Payday 3 can compete with the legacy of Payday 2, showing that while sequels can introduce new elements, they must also meet or exceed the expectations established by their predecessors.
Conclusion
The ongoing struggle of Payday 3 against the well-loved Payday 2 highlights the complexities of game development, player retention, and evolving market dynamics. Starbreeze Studios faces a rigorous path ahead, with hopes of turning their latest title into a lasting success amidst the shadows of its predecessor.
