Payday 3 was expected to be a standout entry in the Payday franchise, but it fell short of expectations at launch and struggled to win over fans despite a year of post-launch support. Now, Starbreeze Studios has made a tough decision in an effort to save the game.
Starbreeze has confirmed a leadership shakeup for its second year of content. On Wednesday, the studio announced that the former game director Miodrag Kovačević would be stepping away from his position, now serving as a senior game designer on the project.
Importance: The Payday franchise is one of the hidden gems in the gaming industry, but the mishandling of Payday 3 has negatively impacted the legacy of the series as a whole.
As part of the transition, Andreas Häll Penninger and Almir Listo will take on the creative lead roles for Payday 3’s future updates. Penninger, who previously served as a lead producer on Payday 3 and a producer on Payday 2, will work closely with Listo, the global brand director and head of community for the series.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Starbreeze said,
“Going into year 2, Mio will be stepping away from his former role as Game Director and focusing his efforts as a designer elsewhere in the project. In the interim while researching and planning year 2, Andreas and Almir will be the creative force behind the upcoming updates we hope you keep enjoying and playing.”
Payday 3 has notably underperformed since its September launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Despite early anticipation, the game has struggled to maintain a player base, especially when compared to its predecessor, Payday 2. According to SteamDB, Payday 2 recently saw a peak concurrent player count of 14,601, while Payday 3 only managed 771 in the same period.
The game’s disappointing performance also contributed to the removal of former Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren in March of this year. As the studio looks to turn the game around, fans and players will be watching closely to see how the new leadership team handles the upcoming updates and content.
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