The number of people playing Payday 3 dwindled in the months since its launch, with many calling it a “dead game” due to the low player count. But the game may be getting the slow revival fans hope for.
Coming to the end of its first year of DLC and content updates, players are returning to Payday 3 to see the new content the title offers. In the last year, Starbreeze has added new heists, weapons, and quality-of-life features to the game.
It was a slow effort, however, with the company putting together a strike team to address players’ frustrations. And with the latest Houston Breakout update, the game is recovering a small portion of the playerbase.
What is the player count in September 2024?
As of September 2, 2024, Payday 3 has a 24-hour peak of 1,322 players according to Steam Charts. In August, the average number of players was 844.3 with a peak of 4,648.
| Month | Avg. Players | Gain | % Gain | Peak Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2024 | 844.3 | +24.7 | +3.02% | 4,648 |
| July 2024 | 819.6 | +221.1 | +36.94% | 1,978 |
| June 2024 | 598.5 | +265.1 | +79.52% | 3,286 |
| May 2024 | 333.4 | +90.4 | +37.19% | 1,641 |
| April 2024 | 243 | -52 | -17.70% | 518 |
| March 2024 | 295 | +9.0 | +3.15% | 891 |
| February 2024 | 289.1 | -315.9 | -52.46% | 648 |
| January 2024 | 602.1 | -954.3 | -61.31% | 1,680 |
| December 2023 | 1,556.4 | +441.8 | +39.64% | 4,475 |
| November 2023 | 1,114.6 | -4,881.8 | -81.41% | 5,115 |
| October 2023 | 5,996.4 | -22,625.2 | -79.05% | 28,721 |
| September 2023 | 28,621.6 | – | – | 69,112 |
The large increase in players in June compared to the earlier months can be attributed to the Boys In Blue update, which brought in fresh content that players were desperately after.
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Following that, the game has had another surge of players with the new Houston Breakout and Diamond District heists. With the next DLC or update not coming out until later this month, the player count has dropped off a little but is expected to rise again.
Bear in mind these numbers only account for Payday 3 on Steam, and do not consider players on Epic Games, Xbox, or PlayStation.
Since the game is available on Xbox Game Pass, the player numbers may be much higher for those playing it on Microsoft’s subscription service.
If you’ve recently picked up Payday 3, check out our full mission guides. Be sure to also see the best heists to make some fast cash, as well as details on how the new solo mode works.