Payday 3 Players React to Developer Starbreeze Saying It Will Make a ‘Significantly Lower Level of Investment’ in Year 2 Content

ign.com:

Payday 3 developer Starbreeze has sparked backlash after confirming plans to make a “significantly lower level of investment” in the game’s second year.

Starbreeze’s struggle with Payday 3 after last year’s disastrous launch is well-documented, but its recent series of year one anniversary updates were well-received by players who had hoped for similarly significant updates during the co-op shooter's second year. Indeed, Payday 3’s recent Steam user reviews are on ‘mostly positive’, with all reviews on ‘mixed.’

However, that goodwill may now be under threat after comments from Starbreeze acting CEO Mats Juhl in a financial report caused some Payday 3 players to express concern that the studio was now prioritizing its Dungeons & Dragons game instead.

The backlash revolves around Juhl’s comment on Payday 3’s level of investment for year two versus year one. It is below, reproduced in its entirety.

That last line (“significantly lower level of investment”) is the one causing all the damage here, and players are blaming it on Starbreeze shifting focus onto Project Baxter, its in-development Dungeons & Dragons game. Elsewhere in the financial report, Juhl said production on Project Baxter had ramped up (along with the payment of licensing fees to Wizards of the Coast), and that as Payday 3’s game-saving Operation Medic Bag updates ramp down, the game will enter year two “with a smaller team focused on continuously updating the game with new content.”

Disgruntled players have taken to Steam reviews to let their feelings about this be known. “Dead game,” reads one negative review, “like this time for real.” “Dropping this game as soon as it started to show promise is insane,” said another. “Significantly lower,” another review reads. "I've tried defending this game for so long, but it is really frustrating seeing the company executives kill this game before it has a chance to fully recover just to fund their next project that will more than likely flop, just like Payday 3,"