Payday 3 confirmed for 2023 release thanks to Koch Media partnership

A new publishing deal between Starbreeze and Koch Media means Payday 3 has guaranteed itself a release, with plans for a 2023 launch.

Things really seem to be picking up for Starbreeze. The company was in dire straits for a while, forced to cut costs and fire its CEO after its Walking Dead game was cancelled for consoles.

Now, though, it’s managed to sign a publishing deal with Koch Media, which will be financing development for Starbreeze’s next major release, Payday 3.

The follow-up to Payday 2 puts you in control of a team of bank robbers committing various heists, but not much is really know about it aside from a planned launch year of 2023 and that it will release on PC and consoles. Post-launch content and functionalities are also planned.

‘In addition to securing the continued development, this deal secures global publishing of Payday 3 as well as the marketing efforts through the entire game life cycle,’ said Starbreeze’s acting CEO Tobias Sjögren.

Starbreeze adds that it remains the owner of the Payday IP, so fans don’t need to worry about it changing hands. Koch Media is only responsible for financing the new game, as well as publishing and marketing duties.

‘We are delighted to welcome Starbreeze as a new partner for our global publishing business,’ said Koch Media’s CEO Klemens Kundratitz.

‘Payday 3 is shaping up to be an incredible game. Based on what we’ve seen already, Payday 3 is going to take the franchise to new heights and will delight Payday fans as well as new audiences alike with innovative multiplayer gameplay.’

It makes sense that Starbreeze is currently focusing all its efforts on the Payday franchise as despite it first launching in 2013 the continued success of Payday 2 was what carried the studio through its financial troubles and restructuring efforts.

It even had to sell off its publication rights for games like System Shock 3 and Psychonauts 2, the latter of which was given to Microsoft, which also ended up buying Psychonauts developer Double Fine around the same time.

Payday 3 will launch in 2023 for PC and currently unnamed consoles.

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