Starbreeze has fully acquired the publishing rights to Payday 3 from Plaion, ending the previous arrangement between the two companies. The announcement was made via a press release, confirming that Starbreeze paid approximately SEK 33 million ($3.4 million) in Class B shares to secure the rights.
According to the company, the acquisition will allow Starbreeze to move more quickly with content updates and explore broader business opportunities related to the Payday franchise. While this change specifically impacts Payday 3, Starbreeze hinted that the deal will also form the foundation for a long-term partnership with Plaion on potential future Payday projects.
A statement from the Starbreeze board emphasized that the transition marks the official end of the current publishing deal. The company added that it appreciates Plaion’s support, suggesting that the agreement reflects mutual confidence and ongoing alignment between the two companies.
Payday 3, which launched in September 2023, received a mixed reception at release, with many players criticizing the game for feeling unfinished. Just months ago, Starbreeze admitted the game was not fully ready at launch, a concern that had been echoed by fans since day one.
Interestingly, this full publishing takeover follows a recent announcement in which Starbreeze said it would be “investing significantly less” in Payday 3’s second year of content. It remains to be seen how this shift in ownership might influence the game’s post-launch support and roadmap, especially now that the developer has full control over the title’s direction.
This doesn’t exactly confirm Payday 4, or that the game will start getting updates soon. But at the very least, it will speed up the process. Players have shown some excitement regarding the announcement, but now we will just have to wait for a few months to find out how this impacts the game in the long run.
