Since Payday 2 released in 2013, the PC version has had 144 updates and it’s Steam page current has 48 pieces of downloadable content. To say it’s gone through some changes over the years is an understatement. Today OVERKILL Software announced they will be simplifying things by consolidating all the current pieces of DLC into the Steam bundle entitled, the Payday 2 Ultimate Edition. Until it’s release on June 8th, 2017, all Payday 2 DLC is on sale for 85%. This allows players to grab any specific DLC they want. As of June 8th, all individual DLC will be removed and existing players will be offered an upgrade option to the Payday 2 Ultimate Edition. The price of this will vary depending on how much DLC is already owned.
Payday 2 Ultimate Edition will contain all previously released content, except for the Ethan and Hila Character Pack, as well as any temporary campaign eg. the ‘Lootbag’ DLC or the Completely OVERKILL Pack DLC. The Ethan and Hila Character Pack will be sold separately and all proceeds will go to Ethan and Hila themselves of the H3H3Productions Youtube channel. The Completely OVERKILL Pack was a limited time DLC and OVERKILL Software will honor those players that invested in it by not releasing it again. Other than those pieces, players will get it it all and future content will be free. With this announcement, OVERKILL Software stated that they had intended to support the game until the end of 2017 but have since decided to extend development until October 2018.
OVERKILL Software is attempting to both, make good with their fans that have stuck with them while Payday 2 has evolved and also attract new players by creating a simple entry point with one standard game. This is the right approach and I’m glad they’ve finally got there. As a fan of Payday 2 when it released, I was often discouraged to jump back in by the mess of DLC that had accumulated while I was away. All pieces of DLC currently total $28.30 USD on the Payday 2 Steam page which feels like a good price point to get players back. Meanwhile, new players can wait until June 8th and pick up the Payday 2 Ultimate Edition for $45.00 USD.
Consoles will not get the Payday 2 Ultimate Edition since it’s a Steam exclusive, however, they will continue to receive updates, so stay tuned. A Switch version of Payday 2 is currently in development.
The Payday 2 Ultimate Edition will be available via Steam on June 8th, 2017. See the full announcement on the OVERKILL Software site. Check our review of the console version Payday 2: Crimewave Edition.
