Starbreeze Entertainment launches Payday 2 subscription service on Steam

Starbreeze has launched a subscription service for Payday 2 on Steam as part of the franchise’s 12th anniversary celebrations.

Announced on September 24, 2025, the new subscription service offers players access to all the game’s available download content for $4.99 a month (with monthly renewal) or $19.99 for six months, with the option to cancel anytime.

“With more than a decade of content behind Payday 2, we want to give players greater flexibility in how they experience the game,” said Gustav Nisser, head of commercial at Starbreeze Entertainment, in a press release announcing the new subscription service.

“The subscription service makes it simple and cost-effective to enjoy everything Payday 2 has to offer – whether you’re new to the game or returning to explore DLCs you haven’t yet played.

“At the same time, all existing DLCs remain available for purchase as before. This is about giving players more choice.”

In August 2025, Starbreeze Entertainment released its interim report for Q2 2025 and the first six months of the year, revealing that while the company’s profits were up 64% for the quarter, it still made a SEK 25.4 million ($2.66 million) loss.

The company reported net sales for Payday 3 and Payday 2 were down YoY for the quarter, but, for the period from January to June 2025, sales for both games had increased.

Third-party publishing sales saw a drop YoY, too, with Starbreeze Entertainment CEO Adolf Kristjansson noting that it “third-party publishing demands substantial resources but delivers limited impact compared to our core franchises.”

As a result, the company said it had decided to “refocus” its “ambitions” on the Payday franchise and the company’s own internal projects.

“With the global games market becoming increasingly crowded, successfully reaching and resonating with the intended audience requires a blend of expertise, timing, and often a degree of luck,” Kristjansson said at the time.

“Crucially, it highlights the tremendous value of having an established and beloved IP like Payday to consistently break through the noise. And it invariably takes a lot of time and resources.”