Embracer says Payday 3 underperformed following launch issues

Embracer Group has said Payday 3’s launch failed to meet its expectations.

Major server issues, which developer Starbreeze blamed on problems with external matchmaking software, marred the co-op game’s late September release, while fans were also left frustrated by an extended wait for the title’s first update, which was finally released this month.

During Embracer’s second quarter earnings Q&A on Thursday, CEO Lars Wingefors said Payday 3 had come in “a bit weaker than expected”.

“The game had a had a positive Adjusted EBIT contribution with investments recouped in the second quarter, but performed below management expectations,” he said.

“Starbreeze is now hard at work to improve the player experience.”

Delivering the game’s first update in early November, Starbreeze claimed Payday 3 was “finally up and running as things should be”.

Originally scheduled to arrive in early October, the studio said the patch had been delayed after it found critical errors with its update pipeline that needed to be addressed to avoid the possibility of player progression being wiped.

It added: “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!”

Starbreeze has said it expects to be in a position to start adding free content to the game before the end of 2023.

It provided an overview of Payday 3’s DLC roadmap prior to the title’s release, when it said four add-on packs would arrive in its first year.

Embracer also confirmed today that its ongoing restructuring plan resulted in 900 employees (about 5% of its workforce) being let go during its second quarter ended in September.