Troubled video game developer Starbreeze has said that the third installment in its Payday franchise will release sometime around 2022-23. The company, which has been undergoing financial turmoil and almost ceased to exist, said in a press release that it expects positive cash flows due to “expected new publishing agreements” in 2020, and Payday 3‘s release.
In the same note, Starbreeze also provided an update on its reconstruction efforts.
As part of the reconstruction, assets and personnel attributable to the core business have been transferred to two new companies, New Starbreeze Publishing AB and New Starbreeze Studios AB. IP rights make up the majority of the assets and have been transferred to New Starbreeze Publishing AB. It is in New Starbreeze Publishing AB that the Group’s cash flows will be generated.
In the reconstruction work, one of the four major international accounting firms has also valued the company’s assets, which is the basis for the transfer of assets that has taken place to the subsidiary New Starbreeze Publishing AB. These assets (mainly IP rights for PAYDAY) have been valued at SEK 1,600 million. Corresponding assets are recognized in the consolidated balance sheet at SEK 333 million as of June 30, 2019.
Whether Starbreeze will be around by 2022-23 is anybody’s guess.
Payday 3 was first announced in Starbreeze’s annual report for 2016. Production had already begun by then but the company noted that it will take as much time as needed to finish development.
“This [Payday] is our single most important brand today and the cornerstone of our business and we will treat it accordingly,” reads the report. “Updates in the near future might be scarce and far between. You simply don’t rush Payday 3.”
Platforms have yet to be announced.
[Source: Starbreeze via Eurogamer]
