Payday 3 Offline Mode Comes With a Big Catch

Developer Starbreeze Entertainment has revealed that a new Offline Mode will be coming to Payday 3 later this month, but this new way to play comes with a major catch: an internet connection. The addition of this new mode follows months of backlash against Payday 3 for dropping offline play from its list of features.

Originally breaking onto the scene back in 2011 with Payday: The Heist, Starbreeze's Payday series seeks to flip the FPS genre on its head, requiring players to work together to rob some of the most luxurious locations in the world. The series is known both for its deep stealth mechanics and its wide array of weaponry, allowing players to take on missions using different methods. Stealth was heavily upgraded in Payday 3, giving players even more freedom to approach missions in their own ways. Now, Payday 3 is on the cusp of its new "Boys in Blue" update, which adds a new heist into the mix, as well as a highly requested feature.

As part of Payday 3's upcoming June 27 update, a new Offline Mode is being added to the game. This is part of a new initiative to make solo play better, though it's launching in beta to start while developers fine-tune the experience. Frustratingly, players will still need an internet connection to access this new game mode. This mode will be updated in the future to allow for total offline play, but for now, players still need to connect to Payday 3 servers. This does, however, mean solo Payday players will no longer need to queue in the game's matchmaking system. No dedicated offline option for solo players was one of the many things players took issue with in Payday 3, with the game also ditching other classic features like The Safehouse.

New Offline Mode Coming to Payday 3

This new solo mode will be updated over time, says Starbreeze, with the goal being a worthwhile mode for solo players to enjoy. "[Solo mode] will be improved once we improve this feature," said Almir Listo, Head of Community and Global Brand Director at Starbreeze. Along with the new solo beta, Payday 3's upcoming update will also bring a new heist for players to enjoy, as well as a variety of free items and improvements. A brand-new LMG will make its way into Payday 3's growing collection of weapons, as will three new masks. Players will also finally be able to name their own custom loadouts.

Payday 3's launch was messy, with many players unable to access the game due to server issues. Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren issued an apology for the state of the game back in September, with the team releasing multiple updates in the months since. Payday 3 also faced criticism over the small amount of content with which it launched, only featuring eight different heists on release. More heists will be added in future updates, but these expansions will come at a price. Syntax Error, Payday 3's first post-launch heist, costs $10.