Payday 3’s first paid DLC ‘too expensive for what you get’

Payday 3’s rocky launch all but consigned its fate, but that hasn’t stopped Starbreeze Studios from releasing its first paid DLC pack, titled Syntax Error, today. Unfortunately, players don’t seem the slightest bit interested after seeing its price tag.

Syntax Error was revealed on Dec. 12, with the DLC pack including a new Heist, three weapons, and a smorgasbord of cosmetics for characters and guns. Those who purchased the Silver, Gold, or Collector’s Edition of Payday 3 got the update for free as part of their Season Pass entitlements, but otherwise, the DLC costs $20—and players are far from impressed.

Many fans have called the DLC “overpriced,” suggesting the game hasn’t even properly recovered from its horrendous launch in September. “[Starbreeze] barely started to build confidence back in the playerbase, [then] they pull these kind of prices. Even if Payday 3 had the best launch in history it would be a tall ask,” one player said.

Others took offense at the contents of the Syntax Error update, comparing it to its predecessor Payday 2, questioning why players would spend $20 on a single heist, some weapons, and a few cosmetics when the prequel offered heaps more content for the same price. “Honestly, everything I’ve seen of Payday 3 just makes me want to stick to Payday 2,” another added.

While the DLC update also comes with quality-of-life updates and bugfixes for Payday 3, it’s becoming increasingly clear it’ll take more than a single heist to get players interested in the sequel again after the game couldn’t get off the ground three months ago. Matchmaking and server issues plagued the launch and player trust was shattered as fixes for mounting issues spilled into weeks and even months after they were first identified.

Payday 3 concurrents peaked at 5,115 in December but have otherwise sat well below the 2,000 mark for months according to player tracking site SteamCharts. In comparison, Payday 2’s player base remains very healthy, averaging 26,465 through November and peaking just shy of 50,000 last fortnight.

All eyes will be on whether Payday 3 receives a holiday boost with Christmas fast-approaching but should form hold into 2024, it’s all but confirmed the title is a total bust.