Does Payday 3 Have a Campaign? Answered

Payday 3 is back 10 years after its predecessor. Starbreeze Studios and Deep Silver’s newest installment of the heist-filled series comes with plenty of stealth opportunities, high-octane getaway shootouts, and valuable goodies to stash in your van. But with the return of the titular Payday Crew, you might have one question on your mind: does Payday 3 have a campaign?

Does Payday 3 Have a Campaign? Answered

If you played Payday 2, you’re likely familiar with Career Mode, which was essentially a story mode. Similarly, Payday 3 does have a story campaign of sorts. It’s not called Career Mode this time around, but it offers a series of eight heists tied together narratively. Each section is bookended with fully-voiced cutscenes, and playing them in order takes you through the game’s overarching plotline. They’re all set in New York City, following this post-retirement chapter for the Payday Crew.

What is the Story in Payday 3?

Payday 3‘s campaign takes you to various areas, including Ashton Fine Jewelry, Queensboro Bridge, The Neon Cradle nightclub, and more. Completing each heist unlocks a cutscene, revealing more of the plot. Not only will you unravel more of the conspiracy, but you’ll also gain a ton of loot and experience as you progress.

The first story video before No Rest For the Wicked sets the stage. The Payday members haven’t stepped out of their peaceful retirement willingly. A mysterious figure has left the team completely broke with frozen accounts. This sends them to the streets of New York City to regain their fortune.

All Payday 3 Heists in the Campaign

Here are the eight heists available at launch:

• No Rest For The Wicked
• Road Rage
• Dirty Ice
• Rock The Cradle
• Under The Surphaze
• Gold & Sharke
• 99 Boxes
• Touch The Sky

Can You Play Payday 3 Heists in Any Order?

You do have the freedom to take on these heists out of order. However, without viewing their cutscenes chronologically, the overarching narrative tying these crime sprees together might make little sense. Even so, I do appreciate a skip option once I’ve experienced all the story has to offer. Thankfully, Payday 3 has the option to toggle the story videos off.

Whether you’re playing the campaign with friends or solo with bots, keep in mind that Payday 3 is an online-only game. So you’ll need an internet connection to tackle these challenges. However, if you run into problems with your connection, check out our guides on how to fix a matchmaking error or no network connection error.

That answers the question: does Payday 3 have a campaign? Now it’s time to grab your loot and leave without a trace (or with chaos in your wake, depending on how you play). For more Payday 3 tips and tricks such as how to open the vault in No Rest For the Wicked and how to get all Infamous Rewards, check out our growing PD3 guides hub.