Payday 3 is a fast-paced co-op shooter that lets players carry out daring heists. Whether you’re playing with friends or strangers, this pulse-pounding game lets you enjoy all the thrill and danger of a life of crime without any actual risk of ending up dead or in jail.
Getting a team together can present some logistical issues in any multiplayer game, so we’ve taken the liberty of answering some of the most-searched questions for players hoping to breach some bank vaults and escape with stacks of cash. If you’ve got questions, we’ve got answers!
Updated on November 3, 2023 by Matt Arnold: The long-awaited 1.0.1 Patch has arrived for Payday 3! While it mostly focuses on balance, players have had questions about the optional data collection added in the patch. We’ve updated this FAQ to help you decide whether you’d like to opt in or out of Telemetry and GameSight.
Can You Play Payday 3 Single-Player?
Payday 3 is designed to be a multiplayer game with up to four on a team. However, if you want to practice a heist on your own or just don’t feel like getting a group together, it’s possible to create a lobby just for yourself.
When starting a heist, set the lobby type to Invite Only. This ensures that nobody can join your lobby without you directly inviting them in. You’ll be sent to a lobby as normal, and the other three player slots will be taken by AI bots.
You can also set the lobby type to Friends Only. This will allow only players on your Friends List for the current platform to join, even without an invite.
Some challenges in Payday 3, such as disabling all the dye packs in the bank vault, cannot be accomplished alone. Solo players won’t usually be able to get the maximum possible loot from a given heist.
Payday 3 is online-only, meaning that if you can’t reach the game’s servers, you won’t be able to play, even solo.
What Are Telemetry And GameSight?
Telemetry and GameSight are two options that let Starbreeze collect data on how players are enjoying the game. This is used to determine how to improve Payday 3 in the future.
Telemetry tracks which loadouts, characters, strategies, and cosmetics you use when you play. This is used to determine which options are popular among players and which ones need improvment.
GameSight is more marketing-focused, and it tracks things like whether you bought the game on sale, which DLCs you have, and whether an in-game event or other promotion brings players back after an absence.
Both Telemetry and Gamesight are optional; you can disable them at any time in the Settings menu. Neither program collects personal data like passwords.
Does Payday 3 Support Cross Progression?
Players log into Payday 3 through Nebula, Starbreeze Studios’ matchmaking service. If you have the game on multiple platforms, all you have to do is log into the same Nebula account to access all your gear, perks, and progression.
This can be easily done by linking all your platform accounts to Nebula the first time you log in. You can do so from the login screen.
Does Payday 3 Support Crossplay?
Crossplay between platforms is available in Payday 3. When you first start up the game, you’ll be asked if you want to enable crossplay. If you have friends on different platforms, or if you intend to play on multiple platforms yourself, it’s a good idea to turn crossplay on.
You can change whether crossplay is enabled from the Gameplay tab in the Settings menu.
If you know you’ll only be playing with teammates on the same platform, you can turn crossplay off. This can help keep your team consistent, since you’ll all be using the same input (mouse and keyboard or controller) and can limit the risk of lag or disconnections if everyone is using the same service platform.
How Many Cameras Can You Destroy?
In previous Payday games, security would get suspicious if you destroyed too many cameras. That is no longer the case, and shooting a camera with a silenced weapon will keep you from being detected.
However, guards will notice a destroyed camera if they walk past one, which can trigger a search or even an alarm. It’s best to leave cameras in place if they’re on an active patrol route. Alternately, you can use ECM Jammers or skills from the Hacker tree to disrupt and disable cameras without anyone knowing.
What Is The Final Charge?
Normally, a police assault will come in waves; every few minutes, enemies will stop entering the area as the cops regroup. This is also an opportunity for players to heal up, refill their ammo, and trade hostages for medkits.
Once the players are on the final objective, however, the next police assault will become the final charge. From this point, the police will no longer stop attacking. Players must face a constant stream of enemies, including elite foes like Bulldozers and Cloakers, until they escape or are apprehended.