A new generation of heisters is about to get their first taste of Payday‘s addictive action. As the iconic co-op shooter sets its sights on New York City, the closed beta promises a thrilling glimpse at overhauled gameplay built on community feedback.
With hype reaching a fever pitch among the franchise‘s 20 million dedicated players, competition is fierce for one of Steam‘s most requested beta tests ever. Luckily, this guide has all the insider tips you‘ll need to secure your spot.
So ready those masks and loadouts––we‘re getting you into the Payday 3 beta!
The Return of the Payday Gang
Ever since Payday 2 took the gaming world by storm in 2013, fans have eagerly awaited another chance to step into the shoes of Dallas, Chains, Wolf and the rest of the notorious criminal crew.
While the original Payday captured nostalgic, Hollywood-style heists, Payday 2 amped up the action with a huge arsenal of weapons, intense skill trees, and ever-escalating robberies. Developers OVERKILL Software supported the game with nearly 200 post-launch updates over 7 years, keeping the community engaged.
However, reports of unfavorable working conditions at the studio raised concerns about the franchise‘s future. Fans feared they might never see the closure they craved with Payday 3.
Last year brought a ray of hope: series creator David Goldfarb emerged from retirement to helm production as Creative Director of a freshly rebuilt dev team. Their mission? Deliver the most ambitious entry Payday has ever seen.
The community is pumped about PAYDAY 3’s move to Unreal Engine 5, the advanced AI behaviors demoed, and the conscious effort to enable deeper player expression through gameplay.
Stepping into the skylit streets of New York introduces new tactical considerations with zip lines. Civilian crowds behave more dynamically, ramping tension before containment protocol kicks off.
Promises of enhanced mod support and post-launch content suggest Payday 3 could achieve the same longevity of its predecessor… or maybe surpass it.
Why Beta Access Matters
Beta tests have become a critical milestone in modern game development, especially for online multiplayer titles like Payday 3.
When OVERKILL Software opens the doors to its closed beta event, likely around July 2023 per insider rumors, only select players will get to try out whatever slice of content has been prepared so far.
Beta sign-up rates indicate the hype level of upcoming game releases
As demonstrated in the graph above, Payday 3 anticipation translates to over 575,000 beta access requests and counting on the Steam store page alone.
For perspective, that‘s ~4x requests compared to previous Payday betas and bigger than hits like Dying Light 2 this year.
Landing beta admission means playing a pivotal role:
- Trying new weapons and skill combinations
- Providing feedback on mechanics and bugs
- Assisting dev priorities before launch
With so much excitement around this initial reveal, gaining beta access also comes with some community clout for veteran players.
How to Get into the Payday 3 Closed Beta
Getting your foot in the door with the Payday 3 beta starts with a Steam account. Follow the step-by-step guide below:
Step 1: Install Steam and Set Up Your Profile
If you don‘t already have the gaming platform installed, head to steampowered.com to set up an account and download the app.
Make sure your profile settings are enabled for beta participation:
- Activate Steam Guard for account security
- Double opt into beta updates under Preferences > Account
- Ensure age restrictions don‘t block mature content
Step 2: Request Beta Access on the Payday 3 Store Page
Once signed into Steam, go to the Payday 3 store page and scroll down until you see the "Request Access" widget:
Simply click the blue button, then confirm your request in the popup that appears afterwards.
Repeat visitors may see a pending invitation or notice that access was already granted once submissions open.
Step 3: Download Once Given Clearance
You‘ll receive an email notification if approved, which enables installing the beta preview build through your Steam library like any other game.
Keep tabs on your request status by bookmarking the Payday 3 page and checking for updates. Don‘t hesitate to download as soon as access opens up!
Getting Ready: Beta Test Details
Information directly from developers remains scarce since Payday 3 is still in early stages. But glimpses of in-engine footage provide clues about what to expect.
For starters, the beta will likely focus on multiplayer functionality over singleplayer content. Lobby matchmaking, netcode performance in shootouts, communicating contextual information to teammates––these are vital to smooth co-op heists.
We‘ll almost certainly test out new gear and "skills" progression tied to the upgraded engine. The back-end systems supporting things like concealment ratings, enemy detection states, loot valuations, and mission rewards also need balance tuning.
While the beta probably won‘t showcase every new weapon or final map design, it should reveal hints about secret objectives, non-linear approaches, and just how dynamic PAYDAY‘s urban playground can be. We may even catch references hinting at future story beats!
Payday 3 System Requirements Breakdown
The Payday 3 Steam page lists both minimum and recommended PC specs required to join the beta test. How does your current hardware compare?
Payday 3‘s suggested specs target smooth 60 FPS gameplay at High quality settings in 1080p resolution.
Pushing higher frame rates or upping the visual fidelity will demand more expensive modern hardware. Let‘s analyze the likely performance impact of each component:
CPU: Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 5/7
CPU choice affects overall framerates in frantic firefights. A budget quad-core chip hits baseline, but expect frequent drops below 60 FPS.
Payday 3 relies more on additional cores/threads for AI, physics, etc. An 8-core i7 or Ryzen 7 chips twice the muscle for consistent 60+ FPS fluidity.
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650 or RTX 2070 Super
Raw graphics power translates to buttery smooth framerates with tons of eye candy. Payday 3 craves the enhanced lighting, shadows and reflections of an RTX card.
Entry-level GPUs like the GTX 1650 only manage 30-45 FPS on higher settings. The RTX 2070 Super easily doubles that, and supports next-gen ray tracing effects.
Storage: SSD Recommended
Installing on an SSD avoids slowdown from mechanical hard drive seek times. This keeps load times minimal so the action never stops.
RAM: 16GB Ideal
While 8GB meets the minimum spec, having 16GB headroom enables extensive mod support, multitasking during play, and leaves wiggle room if OS/software bloat over time.
What to Upgrade?
If your PC falls below recommendations, the graphics card will provide the biggest tactical boost. An Nvidia 3060 Ti offers excellent 1440p performance under $500.
CPU and RAM could be next considerations for optimizing the experience, followed by SSD storage.
Delving the Beta Bugs: Troubleshooting Tips
As an early preview, Payday 3 beta testers should anticipate wrestling the occasional bug or unexpected crash during their heists.
Here are some troubleshooting steps for common hiccups:
- Crashing on Launch: First, update GPU drivers. If no luck, try verifying game file integrity via Steam. temp hardware overclocks may also cause stability issues.
- Connection Errors: Double check firewall and antivirus settings aren‘t blocking game executables or ports. Flush DNS and renew IP, disable VPNs/proxies, release + renew network adapter.
- Low FPS: Pause background software and enable exclusive fullscreen mode. If FPS suffers during combat, try lowering shadow quality or texture filters.
We‘ll likely see optimizations between beta and full launch. Until then, the Payday 3 Beta Forum offers troubleshooting advice as issues emerge.
The doors are opening for an exclusive ops mission years in the making. Secure your seat at the Payday 3 beta table and take your rightful place on the crew.
We can‘t wait to experiment with new strategies made possible by reworked mechanics and interactive environments. Our mission: pulling off the most thrilling heists yet devised by the PAYDAY designers.
From the streets of Brooklyn to the vaults of Wall Street‘s most powerful banks, there‘s frantic fun to be had. Stay tuned for future updates as we analyze the results of each beta session.
Now get out there and make us some money! Just try not to have too much fun without the rest of us.
