Payday 3's latest update adds "solo mode", but it still requires an initial internet connection

Payday 3 launched last year to dismal reviews, due to bugs and features from Payday 2 that were absent in the sequel. One such piece of missing functionality was the ability to play alone or offline, but an update coming today makes some progress towards fixing that with the addition of "Solo Mode".

Solo mode lets people play any of Payday 3's heists alone by hosting the match on their own computer. Y'know, like all games used to let you do. The downside is that Payday 3's solo mode still requires an initial internet connection to access, so it's not a completely offline solution. Not yet, anyway - Starbreeze describe the mode as a "beta".

Payday 3's servers are offline for around eight hours in order to implement the feature, which is just one part of a larger set of changes in what's called the Boys In Blue update. It also includes bug fixes, art improvements, and both free and paid items including weapons and cosmetics.

The 'always online' nature of Payday 3 was an issue right from launch, as players faced long waits to connect to servers. Starbreeze immediately made changes to make it less dependent on those overburdened servers. Unfortunately players didn't much like what they played of the game when they did connect, from its enemy AI, gun feel, level design, and especially its progression system. Starbreeze formed a strike force to begin working through those issues, as part of a series of updates they've been calling Operation Medic Bag. Alas, sales have been lower than expected, the CEO of the studio has been replaced, and its Steam reviews remain mostly negative.