“You must have a connection to play because it’s in Unreal Engine. It uses cross-progression and cross-play,” says Starbreeze’s Almir Listo.

Starbreeze’s Payday 3 looks to be a big step forward for the series, with revamped enemies, new weapon progression systems and different difficulty options. Even the stealth gameplay looks good in the recent beta footage. Unfortunately, bad news for those hoping for offline support: Payday 3 is always online.

Global brand director Almir Listo revealed this in a recent livestream at 9 minutes and 17 seconds. When asked if there was an offline mode “like playing solo,” he responded, “No. You can play it by yourself, but I believe you must have a connection to play because it’s made in Unreal Engine. It uses cross-progression and cross-play. I do believe we need you to be online.”

It may not seem like the worst problem since the Payday series is historically enjoyed best in co-op. However, considering Payday 2 allowed for playing offline, it feels like a step back, especially for modders. A quick peek at the Steam forums and Reddit shows a fair amount of backlash, regardless.

Payday 3 is out on September 21st for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Whether Starbreeze adds an offline mode later remains to be seen, but don’t get your hopes up.