Payday 3 developer Starbreeze Studios has announced that it will self-publish the game going forward, having acquired the publishing rights from former publisher Plaion (under its Deep Silver division).
In a press release on its official website, Starbreeze board member Thomas Lindgren says the decision will allow the studio to "significantly accelerate" its planned roadmap for Payday 3, as well as to "pursue broader strategic opportunities for the Payday franchise as a whole".
According to Starbreeze, although this decision marks the end of Starbreeze and Plaion's publishing agreement, it "also lays the groundwork for a long-term partnership" between the two studios with regards to future Payday projects. It sounds like Plaion might well publish a hypothetical Payday 4, if that happens.
I say "if that happens", because given Payday 3's dismal launch and numerous staff changes at Starbreeze owing to the game's relative failure, Payday 4 is by no means guaranteed at this point.
Indeed, Starbreeze will likely want to try and turn Payday 3's fortunes around before thinking about a sequel, although given that sales were looking pretty grim around the time of the studio's last financial results presentation, that might be a pipe dream as well....
