In a recent development that caught the attention of the gaming community, Starbreeze introduced a new subscription service for Payday 2’s extensive DLC library, offering all available content for $5 per month. While this might appear as a convenient option for dedicated players of the long-standing title, as we explore on Digital Tech Explorer, this move inadvertently shone a spotlight on a significant price increase for the Infamous Collection—a comprehensive bundle of all existing Payday 2 expansions. The bundle’s price had suddenly surged from $118 to $170 just weeks before, leading many to suspect a calculated push towards the new subscription model.
Gustav Nisser, Starbreeze’s head of commercial, initially stated that the timing was merely “unfortunate” and denied any connection, admitting the studio had “dropped the ball” on communication.
Starbreeze Reverses Price Hike and Offers Apology
Responding to strong negative feedback from its dedicated community, Starbreeze quickly decided to reverse the adjustments made to the Infamous Collection, reinstating the original, more favorable bundle discount. Gustav Nisser openly acknowledged the community’s clear stance, stating, “We definitely didn’t handle this right, and we’ll be apologising to the community.” He expressed hope for acceptance that this unfortunate incident was an “honest mistake.”
The initial reduction of the Infamous Collection’s discount, from 52% to 33%, was attributed to a “general pricing review.” Nisser clarified that the prior 52% reduction was considered “a bit too steep” when combined with individual content pack discounts. Crucially, the absence of prior notification for this significant price adjustment, especially its timing so close to the unveiling of the subscription service, heavily contributed to the community’s belief that Starbreeze was attempting to funnel players into its new monthly offering.
Nisser further elaborated that had the studio been aware of how closely these pricing shifts coincided with the new subscription offering’s introduction, they would have undoubtedly delayed the changes. He candidly admitted to deficiencies in both “internal coordination and community communication,” acknowledging these as the root causes of the mishap and the subsequent community perception of a calculated push towards their new monthly service.
This incident vividly underscores the paramount importance for game developers like Starbreeze to foster and maintain a transparent, positive relationship with their player base. It’s a key takeaway for any developer, as we often discuss at Digital Tech Explorer, that community trust is invaluable. Despite its 12-year tenure, Payday 2 impressively continues to draw tens of thousands of daily players on Steam, dramatically outperforming its successor, Payday 3, which faces a significantly lower concurrent player count. As Starbreeze presses forward with development on Payday 3, ensuring the ongoing smooth operation and unwavering community satisfaction around its predecessor remains absolutely crucial for the studio’s long-term success and reputation in the gaming industry.