Starbreeze is restructuring the business model for PAYDAY 3 by making all past and future paid heists completely free for base game owners. The shift arrives alongside an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 and a revamped storyline campaign celebrating the third anniversary of the cooperative shooter. To prepare for the transition, individual heist DLC purchases are being pulled from digital storefronts starting immediately.
The studio outlined an ambitious development roadmap that begins with moving the entire game over to Unreal Engine 5 alongside a complete rework of the classic Cook Off map. The subsequent anniversary patch introduces a full story campaign with rewritten narrative beats, dedicated weapon perks, a target shooting range, and upgraded enemy combat behavior. Players will also see a fresh Crimebond collection containing a returning weapon popular with long time fans of the franchise.
Unifying the split community serves as the primary motive behind the decision to abolish paid heist expansions. Rather than dividing matchmaking pools across paid map packs, all players gain access to 7 previously premium missions, including Syntax Error, Boys in Blue, Houston Breakout, Fear and Greed, Party Powder, Delivery Charge, and Shopping Spree. Storefronts are delisting these individual packs along with seasonal bundles covering Chapter 1 through Chapter 4, the Year 1 Pass, and the second anniversary package. Cosmetic outfits, standalone character additions, and weapon bundles remain on sale as separate purchases.
Players who already purchased these heist packs will receive exclusive cosmetic and weapon rewards once the anniversary update rolls out. Anyone holding at least 1 paid heist unlock receives the moddable S40 Partisan pistol variant. Starbreeze is also awarding a custom themed preset mask for every individual heist owned, with dedicated collectors who purchased all 7 packs receiving a rare Flame Keeper mask. Existing owners will retain access to their acquired content without interruption.
