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Payday 2 enlists its first woman gang member in new DLC
Murderous thieves though they may be, the masked crooks of Payday 2 are a progressive bunch and have hired a new female member going by the pseudonym "Clover" to join their heists, assuming you buy the game's newly-available character pack. Available on Steam and other digital distribution platforms for $5, the character pack introduces Clover alongside her unique mask and Shillelagh weapon - Clover is overtly Irish, in case the name didn't give it away - as well as the new Queen's Wrath assault rifle and an additional perk deck focused on breaking into things and accessing areas that are otherwise off limits. Payday 2 also receives a new mission today, dubbed "The Diamond Heist." In it, players will attempt to swipe the world's most famous diamond from a heavily guarded museum. Players are given the option to pre-plan the heist or just ad-lib the whole thing, and they'll do so in style thanks to four new masks "based on historical figures and myths of old." The Diamond Heist DLC features a price of $7. Beyond the break you'll find a trailer for the Diamond Heist narrated by Clover. It's not in-game footage, but it does set up ample reason to steal the precious mineral. [Image: 505 Games]
Whoa, Keanu Reeves is in Payday 2
Whoa. Keanu Reeves' character John Wick (of the new film, also called John Wick) is now playable in developer Starbreeze's Payday 2. The free DLC is the result of a partnership with Lionsgate, which also partnered with Devolver Digital back in August to create The Expendabros. "Lionsgate's entry into the game space is continuing to build momentum with the addition of another great partner and a tremendous piece of IP," Lionsgate President of Interactive Ventures & Games Peter Levin said in a press release. In addition to playing as John Wick, the DLC also offers a new perk system called Hitman, which includes the ability to dual-wield weapons, a Chimano Compact pistol with modification options, a knife and three pairs of sunglasses. If you don't already own Payday 2, you can score a free Steam code of the game when you purchase tickets to see John Wick via Fandango. Like ... whoa. [Image: 505 Games]
Payday 2's Hotline Miami DLC sounds terrifying
Payday 2 will receive a special piece of Hotline Miami-themed DLC on September 30, Overkill Software announced in a Steam community update. The collaboration between the developer and Hotline Miami creator Dennaton Games will feature at least one heist mission, though Overkill has not spelled out what other gruesome events will take place in the DLC, nor has it mentioned a price for the pack. The developer did offer a rather terrifying live-action trailer to announce the downloadable cross-over, found after the break. The sequel to Dennaton's graphic top-down shooter, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, will launch later this year. [Image: Overkill]
Payday devs poke fun at Battlefield Hardline similarities
Only the blind could deny similarities between upcoming cops-versus-robbers shooter Battlefield Hardline and the extant Payday franchise of cops-versus-robbers shooters, but to ensure that absolutely everyone is in on the joke, Payday 2 developer Overkill Software has decided to spoof EA's game in its latest DLC announcement. Though the "Gage Assault Pack" is a pretty typical addition - it features four new guns, four melee weapons, four masks, four materials and four patterns - its unveiling has a decidedly familiar aesthetic. From the font to the wheelchair-bound fellow who seems to have contracted whatever horrible disease makes the soldiers of Battlefield glow with an eerie incandescence, the DLC's page is directly modeled after Battlefield Hardline's promotional materials. Overkill even created background music for the page that's legally distinct but undoubtedly sounds like the bombastic Battlefield Hardline score. Moving past the cute homage, which Overkill describes as "tipping [its] hats to a fellow Swedish game developer," the Gage Assault Pack will reach Steam on September 4 and will feature a $5 price tag. For more details visit the Overkill Software website. [Image: Overkill Software]
Payday: The Heist gets its pricetag stolen on October 18
Remember, everyone: Crime doesn't pay, but that won't matter on October 18, when Payday: The Heist will be available to download for free. Developer Overkill is growing its community in preparation for the Payday franchise's third anniversary, and has put together a list of rewards for each milestone they hit. Overkill is aiming for 1.5 million community members on its official Steam page by October 18 - as of writing, the total sits at just a bit more than 1.1 million. Due to such impressive numbers, this gaggle of gangsters will receive a multitude of exclusive in-game rewards for Payday 2, including weapons, masks, characters and new heists. If you're just after the free game though, it looks like The Heist will be made available to all. Robbers who know how to share the wealth. Who knew? [Image: Overkill]
Payday 2 lead leaves Overkill to create new studio
Payday 2 director David Goldfarb has left the game's developer, Overkill, a studio owned by Starbreeze. Goldfarb told Polygon that he plans to found his own studio in Stockholm, saying, "I knew that at some point the thing that I always wanted was to make my own thing." The move comes almost two years after he joined Overkill, before which he had worked at DICE on projects including Battlefield 3 and Joystiq's beloved Battlefield: Bad Company 2. The incipient studio already has a few developers in place, and Goldfarb has an idea of what he'd like to make – and what he doesn't want to make. "No MOBAs, no comic book styled art, no pixel art," he said, though he added that those are all perfectly valid choices. "I love role-playing games so I will probably make one." Here's hoping it's not an RPG about guys in creepy clown masks robbing banks. [Image: @locust9]
Payday 2: Crimewave Edition plans heists for Xbox One, PS4
A life of crime balances risk with the tantalizing lure of bigger targets, and Overkill Software's co-operative shooter is gunning for its biggest holdup yet with Payday 2: Crimewave Edition on Xbox One and PS4. The related press release notes that the port is packing "enhanced features and a stash of new bonus content" in its dollar-sign-emblazoned knapsack, but further details are laying low for now, along with a price and release date. When Payday 2 started its campaign of stickups in August, our review described it as a "nonstop series of little stories and moments of surprise." [Image: 505 Games]
Payday 2 scores 'Big Bank' with June 17 DLC
Come June 17, developer Starbreeze AB plans to launch the sixth DLC entry for its first-person crime simulator Payday 2, the aptly-titled "Big Bank Heist." According to Starbreeze, The Big Bank Heist is not only the largest, most complex Payday 2 heist to date, it also introduces a new contact character called "The Dentist," who is voiced by actor (and Breaking Bad's resident fried chicken/methamphetamine baron) Giancarlo Esposito. Additionally, the DLC introduces four new masks for the fashion-conscious criminal, as well as the ability to pre-plan heists before you dive into things, guns blazing. "The release of 'The Big Bank Heist' marks something truly special for us," wrote Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson Klint. "For our veteran players, the heist will feel extra special because it has everything that we love about the original game: a huge setting, an intense heist plan and plenty of replayability." When The Big Bank Heist debuts on June 17, it will feature a $7 price tag. As with all Payday 2 DLC, those who don't purchase the addition can still enjoy the new heist by joining a game hosted by someone who has. [Image: Starbreeze]
Payday 2 adding free heist DLC on PC this week
Overkill Software announced that the next batch of free content for its co-op heist sim Payday 2 is due to launch later this week on PC platforms. The new Shadow Raid heist is a stealth-only mission in which players must infiltrate a PMC warehouse in search of a stolen suit of samurai armor. Security is tight, however, and if alarms are tripped mid-mission, players have only 60 seconds to escape with what they've grabbed. Shadow Raid will be released on May 29 as a free update for the PC version of Payday 2. Overkill will also host a 67-percent-off sale and free-to-play Steam weekend for Payday 2 starting on the 29th and extending through June 2. [Thanks, Marc K.] [Image: Overkill Software]
PS Plus Europe in May: Stick it to the Man, Puppeteer, Muramasa Rebirth
Stick it to the Man is the next PlayStation 4 offering for Plus subscribers in Europe, starting next week on April 30. The eccentric 2D adventure is due in North America on May 6, which perhaps suggests a later start for May's stateside batch of Plus, or possibly a different PS4 game. We will have to wait and see. Returning to Europe, there are four other games entering the PS Plus service at the end of April, including two on PS3 and two on Vita. The first of the console offerings is performer plaformer Puppeteer, while the second is first-person robber Payday 2. The latter is a neat addition for subscribers who downloaded the first Payday last summer. The Vita newbies are two very different games hailing from Japan, namely hand-painted 2D adventure Muramasa Rebirth and cutesy sports sim Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational. That's Everybody's Golf if you're European, but Loads of Fun no matter where you're from. As ever, five games in means five games out: Make sure you grab Mercenary Kings, Pro Evo 2014, BioShock Infinite, Hotline Miami and MotoGP13 before Plus drops them on April 30. [Image: Ripstone]
Starbreeze: Payday 2 DLC plans expanded, Brothers 'finally' making money
Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson-Klint announced plans to expand DLC offerings for the developer's multiplayer co-op FPS Payday 2, citing a financial turnaround in a recent earnings report. "To put the past six months in perspective, I would like to highlight that Starbreeze historically, from 1998 to June 2013, accumulated a total loss of SEK 94 million ($14.43 million)," Andersson-Klint explained. "Thanks to our new business model, reorganization and a focus on our own brands, we have - in only two quarters - generated a profit before tax of SEK 104 million ($15.97 million). I would like to think that is what they call a turnaround." Andersson-Klint announced that Starbreeze signed a new agreement with publisher 505 Games, allowing the developer to produce additional Payday 2 content over the next two years. The report states: "The new improved contract, worth 6 million U.S. dollars, gives us the security to, for the next 20 months, focus on developing and refining Payday 2 so that it becomes the best co-operative gaming experience available on the market, with many more add-on packages and other exciting events planned." Andersson-Klint also delivered good news regarding Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, noting that the critically acclaimed adventure game "has finally begun to generate royalty income for the company." Brothers ranked in at #3 in Joystiq's list of last year's best games. The PC version of Payday 2 was updated today with a new batch of free content, adding the Death Wish difficulty, new enemy types, and four new masks. [Image: Starbreeze]
PSA: Payday 2 goes free on PlayStation Plus tomorrow
While it would be thematically appropriate to steal a copy of Payday 2, come tomorrow that's no longer necessary as the PS3 multiplayer heist game will be added to the roster of free games on offer to PlayStation Plus members. Payday 2 centers on a group of criminals attempting to swipe cash and other valuables from targets like banks and jewelry stores. Solo play is possible, but the real potential of Payday 2 is found when playing with three other people. The game's AI is relatively predictable, but when you're attempting to loot a mall with a crew of like-minded felonious humans, you never know when one of them is going to shoot a hostage or set off an alarm, sending the heist into chaos. "Payday 2 is a nonstop series of little stories and moments of surprise like this, challenging your ability to absorb and adapt with each succeeding moment," Dave wrote in our review, before awarding the game 4 of 5 stars. As with all Instant Game Collection releases, a PlayStation Plus membership is required to pick up Payday 2 for free. Full details on how to attain that membership can be found on the PlayStation Plus website, or by visiting any iteration of the PlayStation Network Store. [Image: Overkill Software]
Payday 2 adds Gage's second weapon pack DLC in February
A second pack of gear is being introduced to Payday 2 in February, courtesy of Gage the weapons dealer. Following up on his first premium offering, Gage's second weapons drop introduces some new light machine guns, knives and the Cloaker – a new enemy police unit. There isn't much information on Cloakers, but you'll hear "a faint hissing whine" when they're in proximity. These light machine guns, while having a large magazine size, take a long time to reload and slow you down by 20%. Knives, on the other hand, introduce a new charge attack that can knock down enemies, so the longer you hold down the melee button, the stronger the attack. Finally, the new Gage weapons pack adds four new masks into the mix, along with new patterns and materials to customize them. The Gage weapon pack 2 DLC will be available on Steam in February for $5. Along with the new gear, the DLC also adds a handful of new achievements, which you can review over on Overkill's site. Image: Overkill Software
PS Plus in February: Outlast, Metro: Last Light, Payday 2
It's memories, robberies, and underground monstrosities for PlayStation Plus subscribers next month, with February's line-up featuring Remember Me, Payday 2, and Metro: Last Light. As for Vita, it's the cutesy karts of Modnation Racers: Road Trip, and the less cutesy cross-beats of Street Fighter X Tekken. No, Plus hasn't forgotten about the PS4, silly billy. Sony's newest console is getting asylum horror Outlast on Plus next month, but we already knew that. The real question is when: PlayStation UK's website says next week on February 5, so going by PSN traditions that'd mean a February 4 showing in North America. We'll find out for sure soon enough. Looking at the PS3 games specifically, we'd recommend checking out the "suffocating despair" of shooter sequel Metro: Last Light - no really, it's fun! - and the heist-em-up capers of Payday 2 if you haven't already have. As for Remember Me? Well, if you like neo-action games full of neo-jargon, then sure - but maybe read Ludwig's neo-review first.
Payday 2 'Infamy' DLC gives career criminals a fresh start
For all career criminals, there reaches a point where you've robbed all you can rob and learned all you can learn on the job. Overkill is offering a chance to start anew in its heist simulator Payday 2 through the free Infamy DLC update. Here's how it works: If you've reached level 100 in Payday 2, you can pay $200,000,000 from your in-game offshore bank account to essentially trade in your rank. You'll go back to level one, lose all of your spending money, level progress and skill points, but you'll gain an Infamy level – which yields a point you can spend in the new Infamy skill tree. There are 14 levels of Infamy in all, each split into four tiers. You won't lose all your guns, nor will you lose your mods and masks, but as a lowly level one criminal, you'll be forced to climb the criminal ladder once more to unlock the ability to wield all your good gear. In layman's terms, Infamy is essentially Payday 2's version of the popular Prestige system seen in the Call of Duty series. The Infamy DLC is available right now as a free update, which will trigger the next time you boot up the game.
Best of the Rest: Dave's picks of 2013
Team Joystiq is barging into 2014 with a celebration of last year's best games. Keep reading throughout the week to see our assembly of ingenious indies and triple-A triumphs. Payday 2 We've all thought about stealing something at one time or another. We watch crime movies and Cops; we fantasize about what it'd be like to make off into the night with stacks of cash. Payday 2, for me, is that fantasy realized within the context of a continually surprising, highly replayable video game. It's not just one of my favorite games of 2013 – it's one of my favorite games ever.
Payday 2 'Charlie Santa' Heist DLC drops in time for the holidays
Payday 2 on Steam will receive a free bit of festive DLC on Monday, December 16. The free "Charlie Santa" Heist mission, which sees Payday 2's four crooks busting into a custom bank map, can go one of two ways: you can quickly hunt down the two key cards necessary to break into the vault, bag the cash and get out; or, if things go pear-shaped and you must drill into the vault, you can set up some lift cages on the roof and have your pilot swoop in and skyhook the packaged cash. The "Charlie Santa" Heist DLC also features some festive St. Nick masks for those who are part of the official Steam community group for the game, plus a new scope to unlock, courtesy of Gage the weapons dealer. Finally, there are some new achievements to unlock, including one where you have to neatly package four dead bodies and place them under the bank's Christmas tree. Nobody wants to unwrap that on Christmas morning!
Get Payday 2, Dead or Alive 5 Plus for a steal in Europe's PSN sale
PlayStation Europe's seasonal savings continue this week with Dead or Alive 5 Plus and Payday 2, with the Vita beat-em-up down to £15 (€20/AU$25) and the PS3 heist-em-up at £12 (€15/AU$18). PlayStation Plus members can put that subscription to further use by chopping a further 10 percent off both offers. Finally, as with all games in PlayStation's 12 Deals of Christmas Euro-promo, the offers last for 48 hours starting today.
Payday 2 update brings PS3 version closer to PC
Overkill has issued a significant update for the PS3 version of Payday 2, bringing that console's version up to par with the latest version of the game on PC. There are over 200 tweaks that have been made to the PS3 game, including a complete overhaul of the weapons rating system, adjustments to how stealth works and some fixes for a few persistent crash bugs. The game's economy system has also been updated to pay out more cash for looted bags as well as XP from completed missions. The full patch notes are quite extensive, so feel free to pore over them in this Steam post. A patch for the Xbox 360 version is currently in the works.
Payday 2 on Steam introduces Gage: the weapons dealer DLC
On December 5, Payday 2 will increase its inventory of weapons, mods and masks in the Gage Weapon Pack, a piece of premium DLC coming to the PC version on Steam. The Gage Weapon Pack adds a variety of new guns, mods, masks (with new patterns and materials) and increases player inventory size considerably. In fact, those who pick up the DLC tomorrow will have more open weapon slots than there are guns available in the game. Being introduced alongside Gage's armaments in Payday 2 is a selective fire mode, allowing would-be heisters to switch between semi-automatic and full-on auto firing at the press of a button. Selective firing will be available to all players starting tomorrow – not just the ones who pick up the DLC. The Gage Weapon Pack will launch tomorrow, Overkill says, with a final unveiling for the last part of the DLC also happening tomorrow. Overkill has not announced a price for the Gage DLC.
