Payday 3's Steam Popularity Plummets as Payday 2 Surges

Payday 3's Steam player count has dropped 90% in less than a month, from a peak of 77,938 to around 8,000 currently.

Meanwhile, predecessor Payday 2 has seen a surge in Steam popularity, consistently having more players than Payday 3 since the latter's launch.

Payday 3 is currently ranked #153 on Steam's most played chart, while Payday 2 is at #29.

Payday 3 has 'mixed' Steam user reviews, while Payday 2 is 'very positive'. Issues like always-online DRM are cited.

The developer blames launch issues on a third-party matchmaking partner and is looking for alternatives to improve online services.