Payday 2 is Getting an Engine Upgrade, Open Beta Begins on June 30th via Steam

The old-but-gold heist shooter will receive support for 64-bit systems, DirectX 11 support, a reduced file size, and much more.

Posted By | On 27th, Jun. 2026

payday 2

It’s not every day that a title manages to outlast its predecessor, and it’s even rarer to see a title stay relevant more than a decade after its release. But that’s exactly what Payday 2 has achieved.

Sidetrack Games has just come out with an announcement on Steam, confirming that the popular heist-based co-op stealth title is getting an engine upgrade that will modernize it for current-gen hardware and make everything it has to offer even better in the process. It’s been a while, but you might remember that we found a lot to like about this one back in the day, and the news that it’s getting a fresh lease of life is definitely welcome.

What will the upgrade entail? Well, it includes support for 64-bit systems, for starters. Aside from that, it’s leaving DirectX 9 behind in favor of DirectX 11, reducing the file size to around 32 GB whilst improving load times on SSDs, bringing 6-character lobby codes, and more changes that Sidetrack’s staying mum about until June 30th.

That’s because it’s hosting an open beta on Steam till the end of July to iron out potential bugs and ensure that the game does what it does best without any unforeseen problems. If only that had been the case with its sequel, but it is what it is. We must say that the timing on this one is pretty great, as the wait for more information isn’t too long. Expect to hear more from us about this one pretty soon.


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