August 31, 2026
1 min read
Starbreeze is throwing open the vault and giving away its premium expansions for nothing, aiming to breathe fresh life into its cooperative heist sequel's multiplayer lobbies.
The short version
Payday 3 is now 50% off on Steam, lowering the price to $14.99. To help rebuild its multiplayer community, developer Starbreeze has also made all of the game's previously paid DLC expansions completely free.
By Chuy, Senior Staff Writer
Updated Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed by the Nexzy newsroom

Payday 3 is on sale on Steam at a 50% discount, lowering the price of the game to $14.99, developer Starbreeze announced. In tandem with the price drop, all of the game's previously paid DLCs have been made entirely free. For a cooperative shooter that relies on a steady stream of players to keep its matchmaking gears turning, it is a rapid shift in strategy—the digital equivalent of a restaurant removing the locks from the buffet and handing out clean plates to anyone passing by.
The sudden restructuring is aimed directly at rebuilding the game's active player base, according to the studio.
After a launch period that struggled to maintain steady momentum, splitting the price in half while erasing the cost of premium expansions serves as a hard reset. By wiping away the paywalls, the move bypasses the usual post-launch community fracturing that occurs when some players buy the extra maps and others do not. Now, everyone in the queue has the same keycard to the same doors.
The details
Whether this sudden generosity is enough to get the old crew back together for another round of high-stakes robbery remains to be seen, but the cost of entry is no longer the thing holding up the heist.
Are you hopping into Payday 3 now that the DLC is free?
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