Unfortunately, games that cannot be played without an internet connection will not be viable in the future (unless the developers make them work offline or some kind of server emulation, a warez solution is created).

Fans of the franchise have been speculating for some time, as the system requirements on Steam include the phrase “broadband internet connection.” Almir Listo, Starbreeze’s global brand director, confirmed that while you can play solo, he understands that you must be online to play. The rationale is cross-progression functionality, the ability to switch between the game’s target platforms without affecting your character progression and to seamlessly go from PC to PlayStation 5 and back again, for example, and there will be no restrictions. The game, which uses Unreal Engine 4, also offers cross-play so you can play on Xbox Series with PS5 players, for example.

The problem is that the first two Paydays had an offline mode, where artificial intelligence controlled your teammates during the heists. Because of the always online mentality of the third part, even now, before the game’s release, many people on Reddit and Steam are already saying that Payday 3 will die because of it; because what happens if the game’s servers are shut down? (This question applies to many other games: Diablo III, Diablo IV, and many more…) There has also been criticism that Starbreeze will be financially ruined by the failure because there will only be interest in Payday 3 for a few months (and they’ve just recently emerged from the Overkill debacle with The Walking Dead!).

But there is a positive side to Starbreeze’s move: saves will be portable, hackers and cheaters will be curtailed, and the company will be able to monitor what we play and what doesn’t get much attention, Keohane wrote on Reddit. Indeed, the studio can monitor what’s successful and what’s not.

Payday 3 comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC on September 21.

Source: PCGamer