What is the max number of skill points in Payday 3?

Skill points can make or break a build in most games. While you can accomplish most of Payday 3 just with the proper guns, having the right skills will make that task far easier. A build can make you stealthier or tankier, for instance, but you can only get so far due to the max skill point limit.

While you can unlock all of the skills in Payday 3 at the same time, you can only equip a set amount of them, which increases as you level up. Here’s a breakdown of the max skill points in Payday 3 and how you can get the most benefit out of them.

How to earn the maximum skill points in Payday 3

Payday 3 players can have up to 21 skill points at launch and need to reach level 100 to unlock the last skill point, according to Dev Diary episode six posted on Aug. 18, 2023. Post-release content will bring those numbers up, however, so stay tuned to the patch notes for major updates.

How do skill points work in Payday 3?

Unlike other games, skill points in Payday 3 aren’t consumable. Skill points only show the max number of different skills you can equip at any time. If you have six points, for instance, you can only equip the equivalent of six skills. These can mostly be from any tree you want, though in most cases, you’ll need to have the first ability in that tree equipped to get others. You’ll get skill points whenever you raise your Infamy level, which you can do by completing challenges.

As you play, you’ll receive XP points for your equipped skills. You’ll also need to research a specific tree, which you can do by left-clicking it on the keyboard and mouse. This will display a “Researching” below the skill. After you’ve obtained the necessary amount of XP, you can equip it and earn progress for the rest of the tree.

How to equip and unequip skills in Payday 3

Equipping and unequipping skills is simple. As long as you have the necessary skill points, you can equip a skill by right-clicking it. To remove that skill, press T while you have selected it or hold T to reset all your skills (X by default on Xbox). If you don’t have enough skill points available, trying to equip a skill won’t have any effect. You can also ace a skill for extra effects, though this comes with a bigger cost.

What are Aced skills in Payday 3?

You can Ace most skills in Payday 3. Acing a skill adds an extra effect, though these abilities will cost two skill points to equip instead of one. You’ll notice Aced abilities have a card icon next to them, below the yellow effect. You can un-ace that skill by pressing T, and unequip that ability altogether by pressing it again.

Aced skills boost the effects of their base versions by improving their playstyles or providing extra access to major keywords like Grit, Edge, or Rush.

Skills are the key to taking on bigger challenges in Payday 3, so build your character carefully. You can focus fully on stealth or supporting your allies, and the game offers you the freedom to switch builds mostly at will before a heist. With the max limit of 21 skill points, however, odds are you can make builds that serve you on most occasions, so you can have a game plan for every situation.