Payday 3 receives new creative leads following the game’s continued underperformance

by Danny Craig  · 
Payday 3 receives new creative leads following the game’s continued underperformance
Starbreeze Studios

Starbreeze Studios has confirmed that Payday 3 director Miodrag Kovačevićas is "stepping away" from the role. Franchise veterans Andreas Häll Penninger and Almir Listo will now serve as interim creative leads as the game continues to struggle.

The details:

  • Starbreeze announced the change in leadership in a statement posted to X, confirming that Listo and Penninger will oversee the game as Kovačevićas transitions from director to senior game designer. “Going into year 2, Mio will be stepping away from his former role as Game Director and focusing his efforts as a designer elsewhere in the project,” Starbreeze wrote. “In the interim while researching and planning year 2, Andreas and Almir will be the creative force behind the upcoming updates we hope you keep enjoying and playing.”

  • Penninger had previously served as a producer on Payday 2, before being promoted to lead producer on its sequel. Listo, the franchise's global brand director and head of community, addressed the change in a post on X. "Heisters, @PAYDAD_ and I have worked on the PAYDAY franchise for the past 12 years together, and I am thrilled about the upcoming content we are preparing for you all," he wrote. "Thank you for your continued support - we salute you."

  • Payday 3 was released last year and was immediately met with criticism after being rendered unplayable for weeks due to its online-only requirement, preventing many players from entering matchmaking and playing together. Starbreeze blamed the issue on a third-party matchmaking provider and released a major patch addressing various bugs in the months that followed. Despite this, the game continues to underperform, with Payday 2 boasting higher player numbers, even prompting the removal of CEO Tobias Sjögren in March.

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