Starbreeze making layoffs after scrapping D&D project to refocus on Payday
Payday maker Starbreeze has cancelled its upcoming Dungeons & Dragons project, codenamed Project Baxter, to refocus on its long-running Payday franchise.
Baxter was billed as a "co-op urban crawl through a reactive Dungeons & Dragons world" and was also due to be published by Starbreeze. The title had been given a tentative 2026 release date.
The cancellation will incur a non-cash write down of approximately SEK 255 million ($27.2 million) and result in around 44 people—including contractors and full-time employees—being laid off.
In a statement to Game Developer, Starbreeze said it cannot specify the exact number of layoffs due to union negotiations that will be taking place over the coming weeks.
Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson, who was appointed in March 2025 to help the publisher rehabilitate Payday after the threequel floundered at launch, said discontinuing Project Baxter was a "difficult but necessary decision" that will ensure investments are being funnelled into projects with long-term potential.
"Our strategy is clear: Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential," said Kristjansson in a note to investors.
"By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze's position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders."
Some members of the Baxter team will be redeployed across other Starbreeze projects.
"This redeployment strengthens ongoing delivery, reduces reliance on external recruitment, and ensures expertise is concentrated where it creates the most impact," reads a note to investors. "Where internal opportunities are limited, Starbreeze will provide active support for affected employees to transition to new roles across the industry."
Starbreeze intends to expand the Payday 3 team to roughly 50 employees before the end of the year.
"Our goal is to keep Payday evolving as a modern live-engagement game"In a separate announcement outlining its updated business strategy, Starbreeze said it wants to expand the "heisting" genre by doubling down on Payday.
It said the co-op shooter remains one of the most recognizable franchises in the world, having engaged over 50 million players to date while generating almost SEK 4 billion ($428 million) in lifetime gross revenue.
Kristjansson explained Payday has cemented itself as the "platform for growth" within Starbreeze, which he feels must now evolve the franchise into a "modern live-engagement game" while prioritizing three strategic business pillars: the core Payday IP, additional heisting experiences, and special operations (work-for-hire).
"Payday 3 is being developed into a scalable live-engagement platform to engage millions of players worldwide," reads a second investor note. "The franchise will evolve into a modern live-engagement game through ongoing technology upgrades, expansion and refinement of the player experience, and enhanced engagement models designed to be both fair and sustainable."
Starbreeze explained it will look to release Payday spin-offs, narrative-driven projects, and expansions to bring the series to new platforms and expand the Payday universe. It's an approach Starbreeze claims will create new revenue streams and establish a "broader portfolio of heisting experiences."
In addition to bolstering Payday, Starbreeze said it will operate a "selective and profitable services business" by taking on work-for-hire projects that bring in revenue while providing valuable experience to its teams. It said the projects it takes on will "complement the development of Payday and maintain flexibility through partnerships with leading industry players."
"This strategy is about execution and growth—with greater quality and predictability," concluded Kristjansson.
"Our goal is to keep Payday evolving as a modern live-engagement game, and to open new ways for players to experience the heisting genre through Heisting Experiences and Special Operations. By focusing on delivering lasting value to players, we strengthen the foundation that drives sustainable growth for Starbreeze."
