Starbreeze says its ‘absolute priority’ is making sure Payday 3 ‘lives up to expectations’

techradar.com:

Starbreeze, the developer of the co-op first-person shooter Payday 3, has revealed that although the game’s sales and player activity “are currently at significantly lower levels than we would like,” its “absolute priority” is making sure it “lives up to expectations.”

This was revealed in the company’s 2023 end-of-year report, which was published today (February 15). In his “CEO’s message,” Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren stated that the developer is already working with Plaion to “identify the changes that we will implement” both in the near future and later down the line.

“Payday 3’s sales and player activity are currently at significantly lower levels than we would like,” Sjögren said. “Our biggest focus and absolute priority, both during and after the quarter, are the efforts needed to ensure that the game lives up to expectations. We are working closely with our co-publishing partner Plaion to identify the changes that we will implement, in both the short- and long-term, that add the most value to the gaming experience. The Payday team will in February announce the changes and improvements that are prioritized for implementation.”

He added that there’s no “simple recipe” to turn a game that starts with “a problematic initial time on the market” into something more successful in the long term. However, he added, “A common thread from the positive examples is to take players’ criticism to heart, dare to support your game and keeping an open and honest dialogue with your stakeholders.” He confirmed that this approach is “exactly” what Starbreeze is taking with Payday 3. 

“As a company, Starbreeze stands strong, with a strong cash position and a balance sheet largely free of debt. Our biggest focus now, and going forward, is Payday 3,” Sjögren concluded. “We know what needs to be done for the game to be a success over time, and we have the financial muscles, the community and brand in Payday and the skills required to execute our plan.”

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