Payday 3 Sets Open Beta Dates — And They’re Extremely Soon

The 10-year journey to Payday 3 is finally almost over, and the developers are holding an open beta this weekend to stress test the servers before the official launch. Running from September 8 to September 11, the beta is open to all players on Steam and Xbox Series S|X.

It follows on from an earlier beta last month which was designed to make sure that the servers functioned as intended. This latest one aims to ensure there is capacity to minimize or, ideally, completely avoid potential log-in and connection issues, like those that plagued Diablo IV on its release earlier this year, when the game launches in full on September 21.

While this open beta should give players a good idea of what to expect from Payday 3, it is not necessarily representative of the final game. The content is based on a build from April this year and includes only a small portion of what the full release will offer. That includes four playable characters and a single heist mission. Progress will be capped to Infamy Level 22 and Weapon Level 8, and it’s worth noting that progress will not carry over to the final version. However, all difficulty levels will be playable.

You will be able to access the beta once it’s live by requesting access via the game’s Steam page or through the previews section of the Xbox Insider Hub on console.

In addition to the open beta, developer Starbreeze has also revealed that two additional characters — Pearl and Joy — will be playable at the launch of Payday 3 alongside the familiar faces of Dallas, Hoxton, Wolf, and Chains.

It also provided a roadmap to the first year of post-launch support, which includes four major pieces of DLC: Syntax Error (winter 2023), Boys in Blue (spring 2024), The Land of the Free (summer 2024), and Fear and Greed (autumn 2024). While the specifics haven’t been fully outlined, these expansions will include seasonal events; new playable characters, enemies, and weapons; an Unreal Engine 5 upgrade; quality of life improvements; and more.

Payday 3 will launch on September 21 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now.