Starbreeze Studios was in a perilous position several years ago, as it branched into publishing, acquired multiple studios, and planned to develop its own virtual reality headset resulted in company behind Payday spreading itself too thin. With Overkill's The Walking Dead proving to be a financially and critically disastrous game, accusations of insider trading that resulted in a police raid, Starbreeze was facing insolvency by the end of 2018.

　　Since then, the company has dramatically reversed its fortunes thanks to a period of reconstruction that gave it the chance to pay off debts and refocus its efforts to once again become profitable. And it's largely thanks to Payday 2 that Starbreeze is on the road to recovery.

　　You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

　　Click To Unmute

　　Firearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023

　　State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Tianyou Zhao Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer

　　Share

　　LinkEmbed

　　Size:640 × 360480 × 270

　　Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop

　　Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

　　Sign up or Sign in now!

　　Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.

　　This video has an invalid file format.

　　00:00:00

　　HTML5

　　Auto HD High Low

　　Report a problem

　　Sorry, but you can't access this content!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

　　By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's

　　Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

　　enter

　　Now Playing: Payday 2 - Nintendo Switch Trailer

　　"We have some awesome people who have been with the Payday IP throughout its lifecycle who are still with us, but it feels like a new company, a startup, and we're really keen on getting [back on top]," new CEO Tobias Sjögren said to GamesIndustry.Biz. "And when we look at how Payday 2 is performing and how many people play it on a daily basis, I think we're already there."

　　Payday 2 has a healthy audience on Steam, and has retained those numbers with premium seasonal and free content. As the game keeps Starbreeze afloat and edging closer to once again being in the black--quarterly losses are shrinking steadily--the company is focusing on Payday 3 which is being designed with longevity in mind.

　　"Obviously Payday 3 is going to be [ongoing] and that plays into one of our key strengths at Starbreeze," Sjögren said. "We're good at managing a community and building a game that can be monetized over time. I definitely think Payday 3 will stay true to that part of the experience, but also it needs to change with the times and we have a lot of insights and understanding of what we need to do to be relevant when we release this, ten years after Payday 2."

　　Other factors such as Starbreeze paying off most of its creditors by the end of 2020 and securing a €50 million publishing deal for Payday 3 with Koch Media have also helped with the company's recovery path, as it continues to work towards a 2023 release for Payday 3. "That time is what you need to make a game good," added Sjögren

　　Darryn Bonthuys on Google+