Payday 3's much-delayed first patch is finally here on all platforms

Payday 3’s much-delayed first patch is finally here on all platforms

Time Stamp: November 2, 2023 2:11 PM

Payday 3 hasn’t exactly had the smoothest of launches; matchmaking issues, online-only requirements, and a hugely unpopular challenge-focused progression system immediately soured its arrival for players back in September, and a highly anticipated first patch promising “200+” quality of life improvements has been repeatedly delayed. Finally though, after much waiting, the heist-shooter’s 1.01 update is here on all platforms.

Payday 3’s 1.01 update was initially planned to launch on 5th October, but developer Starbreeze delayed its release to mid-October in order to “ensure its stability”. After weeks of silence, the developer re-emerged to announced another, this time indefinite delay, explaining it had “identified some issues that need to be fixed”.

As the wait has dragged on, Payday 3 player numbers have slumped to the low thousands, with the game’s predecessor currently pulling in ten times more than the new version. As such, Starbreeze will doubtless be hoping the long-awaited arrival of 1.01 today will help reverse the game’s fortunes. And it’s a big one too, weighing in at 2GB (on PC, at least) and spanning an enormous number of improvements and changes.

A look at Payday 3’s stealth and loud approaches.

A scan of the patch notes reveals a broad selection of fixes, touching on virtually every aspect of the game, from audio and visuals to balance and UI; it’s not a sexy list, then, but a reassuringly wide-ranging one – and there’s one standout fix that’ll doubtless please patient players: pre-order and edition-specific items should finally be correctly awarded, albeit nearly two months after the launch of the game.

Of course, one thing 1.01 doesn’t bring is significant gameplay adjustments; Starbreeze has already confirmed it’s working on changes to Payday 3’s much-criticised progression and XP systems, but hasn’t yet indicated when they’re likely to arrive. More news is, however, promised “soon”.

What we do know, though, is that Payday 3 still has a long way to go. As Eurogamer contributor Vikki Blake put it in her review, “Rght now, this sequel feels less of an advancement of the series and more of an accidental side-step, falling short in almost every aspect of what made Payday 2 shine. Yes, Starbreeze has big plans for DLC and post-launch content, but after such a disastrous launch and a lacklustre offering, it may need significantly more than that to counter this otherwise criminally unadventurous shooter.”

Time Stamp:

More from Eurogamer