Vice studios snags payday rights, gaming franchise eyes movie & tv debut

Vice Studios is betting big on the enduring popularity of the Payday franchise, acquiring film and television rights to the heist video game series. The move, revealed today, positions the company, known for its work on projects likeGangs of London, to translate the cooperative crime gameplay into a broader entertainment format.

Vice studios partners with starbreeze to expand payday universe

The partnership with Starbreeze Entertainment, the studio behind the Payday games, comes after a turbulent period for the developer. Former CEO Tobias Sjögren had previously called a Payday movie or show a "perfect fit" back in 2023, hinting at explorations of core characters like Chains, Dallas, Hoxton, and Wolf. That earlier ambition appears to have stalled with Starbreeze’s recent shift in strategy.

Details remain scarce on how Vice plans to adapt the Payday formula for a new audience. The core gameplay, centered around coordinated bank heists and improvisation, has resonated with players since the original Payday: The Heist launched in 2011. Subsequent installments, including Payday 2 (2013) and Payday 3 (2023), have maintained a dedicated fanbase, though Payday 3 has struggled to achieve the player counts of its predecessors. According to SteamDB, concurrent player counts for Payday 3 have rarely exceeded 1,000 in the last two years.

Adolf Kristjansson, the current CEO of Starbreeze, emphasized the company's goal of transforming Payday from a game into a comprehensive entertainment platform. He stated that Vice Studios offers the creative vision and production capabilities necessary to expand the franchise beyond gaming. The previous partnership with Stockholm Syndrome, announced in February 2023, seems to have dissolved with this new deal.

The Payday franchise’s continued relevance is underscored by Payday 2’s impressive longevity. Despite being released nearly 13 years ago, Payday 2 still attracts over 23,000 concurrent players at its peak. While the future of Payday remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the allure of high-stakes heists continues to captivate audiences.

Meanwhile, Starbreeze has been navigating internal challenges, including layoffs and the cancellation of a Dungeons & Dragons game. The company's focus now appears firmly set on leveraging the Payday IP in new and unexpected ways.