Many of us relish a good treasure hunt, seeking out hidden gems or secrets. But what if the treasure was more ethereal – more digital? What if the treasure were a teaser trailer for the much-anticipated Payday 3 from Starbreeze Studios? Now, that’s a chase we could all enjoy.
In an audacious ploy befitting the stealth-focused gameplay of their franchise, Starbreeze chose to clandestinely bury their new trailer for the upcoming Payday 3, a first-person shooter title set to release on September 21. Unfortunately, this move seemed to take the concept of going under the radar too literally. For five days, the hidden trailer went undiscovered, concealed behind the existing trailer on the Payday 3 website.
This ingenious tactic, while aptly embodying the very spirit of the game’s central theme of stealthy criminality, only worked if the volume slider was turned all the way down, or if the site was visited in Google Chrome’s ‘Incognito’ mode. However, despite the robust Payday fanbase’s evident love for Easter eggs, this one proved a touch too elusive.
In the end, Starbreeze’s clever ruse veered into the realms of the truly whimsical, resulting in a fascinating slice of marketing lore. Growing impatient, Starbreeze took to Twitter, initially dropping cryptic prompts to nudge fans toward the trailer. After this proved unsuccessful, the developer’s method of hinting morphed into something considerably more outlandish – poetry. And not just any poetry, but verse that was an unabashed exercise in the absurd.
Finally, after many days and hints, the fans cracked the riddle and the stealth heist trailer was at last unearthed. To celebrate this occasion, Starbreeze posted the full trailer on YouTube, perhaps with a modicum of self-deprecating humor at the twist their marketing ploy had taken.
This stealth trailer sneak peek presents Payday 3’s upgraded stealth mechanics. After nerfing stealth elements into oblivion, resulting in almost every heist devolving into a shootout, this renewed emphasis on stealth was warmly received. Several fans and early players were particularly enthusiastic, applauding the return to a stealth-centric gameplay style.
Still, this doesn’t belie the fact that Payday 3 will have an always-online requirement. At least though, the stealth trailer’s release was enough to bring some positivity towards the highly anticipated threequel, which already boasts over a million wishlists on Steam ahead of its release in a few months.
Set primarily in modern times New York, Payday 3 promises a diverse array of heists, incorporating contemporary criminal elements such as advanced surveillance and cryptocurrency. As for whether the title will live up to its predecessors’ success, only time will tell.
