Payday 3 finds a publisher for 2023 release, Starbreeze is saved

Starbreeze is saved! The ailing games-maker has finally found a publisher for Payday 3 and solidifies its future.

After years of uncertainty, Payday 3 has finally found a publisher. Starbreeze has teamed up with Deep Silver parent company Koch Media (owned by Embracer Group) to publish Payday 3, which is set to release in 2023 on consoles and PC.

The partnership will be a long-term publishing deal that stretches across 18 months after the game's release, and Koch Media will be responsible for physical and digital distribution. The development and publishing deal is worth 50 million Euros, Starbreeze says.

A recent presentation with Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjogren confirms Payday 3 will be a games-as-a-service title with a big roadmap of post-launch content. Sjogren also revealed Payday 3 started production in 2021, and that Starbreeze will remain in full control of the Payday IP.

Here's what we know about Payday 3:

• Payday 3 will have microtransactions and monetization
• Started development in 2019
• Built with Unreal Engine 5 on PS5, Xbox Series X, PC

Starbreeze's future hinged on this deal, and if the company didn't find a publisher for Payday 3, they probably would have had to sell the IP to pay back their debts.

"We are excited to announce this exclusive long-term PAYDAY 3 co-publishing deal with Koch Media who shares our passion for the PAYDAY franchise and the "Games as a service" model. 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. We now have a strong foundation for a successful launch of PAYDAY 3", said Tobias SjÜgren, Acting CEO of Starbreeze.

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