Payday 3 is still being outdone by its own 13-year-old predecessor

A new financial report shows that Monday 3 still surpassed by its predecessor, Monday 2. The numbers may not bode well for Monday 3as Starbreeze Studios tries to turn the game around.

Monday 3 was already launched in 2023, but things haven't been smooth sailing for the title. On Steam, Monday 3 has an overall rating of Mixed, and at the time of publication a 24-hour peak of just 384 concurrent players. The title's all-time peak on Steam was just 78,000, which it achieved at launch in September 2023. By November, that number had dropped to just over 5,000, and it hasn't been able to climb any higher since.

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Starbreeze Studios reveals its finances

An official promo for Payday 3's Syntax Error Heist DLC

In an investor report, Starbreeze presented its profits and losses, as well as its specific financials over the course of the year and the last quarter. Monday 3 could come out on top for the full year 2025, with SEK 76.5 million (USD 8.4 million) in sales compared to Monday 2 reach 50.1 million SEK (5.6 million USD). However, Monday 2 came out on top when looking at just the last quarter, with SEK 14.8 million ($1.6 million) compared to Monday 3 earns only SEK 8 million (USD 880,000). Monday 2 also experienced year-over-year growth, increasing from SEK 41.8 million ($4.6 million) in 2024 to SEK 50.1 million ($5.6 million) in 2025, while Monday 3 fell from SEK 82.9 million (USD 9.1 million) in 2024 to SEK 76.5 million (USD 8.4 million) in 2025.

Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.

Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)

This development seems particularly problematic given Starbreeze's decision to acquire the publishing rights to Monday 3 in mid-2025. The move was made with the intention of speeding up content development, among other things, as the game received major releases such as the Party Powder heist in May and the Skills 2.0 overhaul that launched in December. Earlier that year, the game also launched on PS Plus, likely introducing new players to the franchise. For the company's overall bottom line, net sales increased year-over-year, with Starbreeze seeing SEK 221 million ($24.3 million) in sales in 2025 compared to 2024's SEK 186 million ($20.4 million). However, its net losses also increased, with a net loss of SEK 402.7 million ($44.3 million) in 2025, while 2024 only saw SEK 317.7 million ($34.9 million) in losses.

Fans of Payday franchise and Starbreeze may already be aware that there have been unfortunate recent developments with the company. Starbreeze interrupted his Dungeons & Dragons game, called Project Baxter, which had been announced back in 2023. Starbreeze also saw layoffs after the announcement, with more layoffs following in early 2026.

Although anything is possible, it is clear that so far, Monday 2 preferred over Monday 3. In addition to the disclosures in the financial report, SteamDB indicates that Monday 2 still sees tens of thousands of concurrent players per day. While the game has dropped significantly in player numbers since peaking at nearly 250,000 players eight years ago, a 24-hour peak of over 25,000 players is nothing to scoff at for a 13-year-old game. Despite Starbreeze's efforts, thus far, Monday 3 have not been able to come close to Monday 2s average numbers since launch days. However, Starbreeze's financial report says the company is making “significant progress” in improving the player experience Monday 3and to “strengthen trust with players… is a long-term investment.”

Meanwhile, Starbreeze partnered with Sidetrack Games in late 2025 to support Monday 2 on PC, ensuring that the game continues to receive quality of life improvements and patches. A player survey was held earlier in February, asking for player thoughts and preferences, which could help guide the future of the franchise overall. Time will tell Monday 3 may overcome its predecessor going forward, but Monday 2has proven its staying power.