The high-stakes launch of Payday 3 is being hampered by technical troubles, spoiling the early access experience for eager heist enthusiasts.
After a seven-year wait since first being announced in 2016, the next entry in the popular FPS crime caper series is nearing release. Payday 3 hits early access first, available now to players who pre-ordered pricier editions.
However, things haven’t gone smoothly for these early adopters. At launch, Payday 3’s account servers crashed, blocking players from logging in. While access now appears restored, some users continue reporting sign-in issues.
More frustratingly, PlayStation 5 players have discovered they’re running an outdated version of the game missing features like crossplay. This also blocks their pre-order bonuses. Developer Starbreeze says a PlayStation patch is coming but progress is out of their control.
To their credit, Starbreeze is communicating openly about each hiccup, reassuring fans that fixes are being worked on urgently. For example, an early Epic Games Store intro bug has reportedly been squashed already.
The game as of this writing is trending all over social media site Twitter and fans are gathering in their flocks to voice their frustration. One of the last gameplay trailers shows a heist going haywire, and ironically this is how the launch day has gone.
But after a seven-year wait, these lingering launch woes are deflating for eager series fans. Particularly considering early access was a paid privilege. Each hour offline is playtime lost that premium buyers rightly expect to receive. Lets hope things don’t get this bad with the future DLC that will be arriving shortly after release.
Pre-release testing is meant to iron out issues like this before the masses arrive. The fact that Payday 3 is still encountering launch headaches does not inspire confidence.
Frustrated PlayStation players especially have a right to feel short-changed. Being stuck on an outdated build without access to pre-order items they paid for is simply unacceptable. This comes after good news literally yesterday about the ditching of the always online requirement.
Early adopters serve as guinea pigs to ensure a smooth wider launch. So far, the heist title is failing its most loyal fans. Starbreeze must urgently stabilise things before patience runs thin.
The company should also consider compensating early buyers for lost playtime and undelivered features. Goodwill gestures go a long way during rocky launches.
Hopefully the worst is over, and the game will stabilise swiftly. When on form, the series provides thrilling co-op heisting with immense replayability. This strong foundation just needs technical woes weeded out.
To avoid a PR nightmare, Starbreeze must pull off the perfect heist by next week’s full release. Robbing players of a slick day-one experience may prove the costliest crime of all.
Payday 3 officially launches September 21st on Windows PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Stephen is the proud owner of a popular gaming news website GLN, where he provides the latest updates on everything gaming-related. With a passion for video games that dates back to his childhood, Stephen is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with fellow gamers around the world.