When you have a game that has a VERY rough start, it can be tough to win back the fans who were excited about your title’s launch and try to get them to come back to the game now that it’s “fixed.” The irony is that we can say that about many games that have come out over the last few years. But the one we’re going to focus on today is Payday 3. The long-awaited third game in the franchise promised to take the heist genre to new heights, but when it came out, it was a mess in every way that mattered.
The online was messed up, matchmaking was terrible, and the game didn’t feel as fun as the previous entry was. The developer, Starbreeze Studios, said that the game’s first update would help fix things, but they delayed the update to ensure they could get plenty fixed. Yesterday, the team announced on Steam that the first update was out and would fix many things:
“The first patch for Payday 3 is finally here, we’re looking at a massive amount of fixes to make your heisting a smoother experience.
After some instability, we’re finally up and running as things should be! Heisters heisting, civilians screaming and cops floundering! We’ve got a lot more cooking, keep letting us know when you find bugs and sending us your suggestions!”
On the one hand, it’s good that they have finally released the update and are attempting to fix all that was broken. Plus, they’re ensuring that the lines of communication between them and fans are open so they can do more fixes should they need to. But on the other hand, you have to wonder if this will be as easy as simply “bringing the fans back.”
Remember, the third entry’s launch was so bad that at one point, not long after release, the second entry had MORE players in it than the third! Not to mention, if you recall the leadup to the new game, Starbreeze went through some hard times and changes, which clearly affected their workflow if they were willing to release a game in a broken state.
Sadly, this will be “yet another game” that players put on a list of titles that “should’ve waited a while before release” and will leave a sour taste in their mouths. Hopefully, gamers do give Payday 3 another chance, but if the fixes don’t hold, that’s going to be a hard sell.
