Payday 3 Announced at the Xbox Games Showcase: Set for Release on September 21, 2023

Xbox Games Showcase featured Payday 3 in all its crime-y glory, showcasing all sorts of new gameplay innovations and definitely a visual upgrade from the last game in the series. The game looks its ramping up its gameplay systems to introduce all-new ways for players to engage in co-op heists and pull off high-stakes crimes. 

Payday 3 is set for release on September 21 and will be available on Xbox Series X/S and is confirmed to be available on Xbox Game Pass. This is a major get for Game Pass as the Payday franchise is a proven co-op bestseller that has a massive player base. The franchise's post-launch plans have worked to great success in the past and could just be the live service co-op experience that Game Pass needs. 

Payday 3 Looks Positively Grimey and We Love It

Taking a page out of the Doom and id Software playbook, Payday 3's reveal trailer showcases aggressive gameplay set to fast-paced metal, which should set the pace for what players can expect in the game. In the past, the Payday games have relied on solid, functional, co-op gameplay to keep players hooked, and it looks like the sequel only seeks to further polish those systems.

Payday 3 is close to its release date so it's likely we'll see more of the game in the months leading up to its September launch date. 2023 is already looking like quite the year for gaming, with several major releases lined up for the latter half of the year. While the first half of the year has been light on games for Xbox, it looks like the green brand is ramping things up significantly in the second half. It will be interesting to see what changes await players in the sequel and whether it manages to live up to the lofty standards of the franchise set by the previous games.