The highly anticipated release of Payday 3 has been anything but smooth sailing, with players enduring lengthy queues and connectivity issues in their pursuit of solo heists.

The chaos continues to unfold, as Starbreeze, the game’s developer, announces a complete offline period spanning Tuesday, September 26th, and Friday, September 28th. This temporary shutdown aims to address the game’s dependency on internet connectivity and enhance server and matchmaking stability.

A recent social media post from the developers shed light on the situation, stating, “In order to improve server and matchmaking stability, we will make upgrades to the environment ahead of this weekend.”

The post goes on to detail the downtime, specifying that the service will be offline between 8 AM and 11 AM CEST on both Tuesday and Friday. The developer expressed gratitude for players’ patience during this critical maintenance.

In a more comprehensive statement posted on Starbreeze’s official website, the development team candidly acknowledges that the Payday 3 matchmaking infrastructure has faltered, deviating from the expected performance. An unspecified partner involved in the game’s development bears the brunt of the blame for the ongoing connection issues.

According to the statement, “Matchmaking software encountered an unforeseen error, which made it unable to handle the massive influx of players.” This issue resulted in an irreparable situation for Starbreeze’s third-party matchmaking partner.

To address the problem, a new iteration of the matchmaking server software was gradually rolled out across all regions, leading to improved performance. However, the situation took another turn for the worse when a partner-initiated software update on a late Sunday introduced further instability to the matchmaking infrastructure. Starbreeze’s partner is actively working to enhance and stabilize Payday 3’s online systems.

The statement clarifies that the issue did not surface during the Technical Betas or Early Access phases due to the specific nature of the rapid influx of users and load-balancing.

Starbreeze is now exploring both short- and long-term solutions. In the immediate future, their focus is squarely on enhancing the player experience. Over the long term, they intend to evaluate potential new partners for matchmaking services and reduce Payday 3’s reliance on online elements.

Starbreeze’s CEO, Tobias Sjögren, expressed unwavering confidence in the core product and the quality of Payday 3, despite the initial launch hiccups. He acknowledged the daunting task of rebuilding community trust but affirmed the company’s commitment to the endeavor.

In the midst of these challenges, Payday 3 has faced criticism, from matchmaking difficulties to a skill gating system that appears to create barriers for newcomers. However, many players have still found the overall gaming experience enjoyable. The question remains: Have you encountered these issues in your own Payday 3 adventures, and if so, what are your thoughts on the game’s current state?

Tags: First-person shooter Multiplayer video game Overkill Software Payday 3 Plaion Prime Matter Role-playing game Starbreeze Studios Unreal Engine 4