How to upgrade to Payday 3 early access

There's still time!

Four teammates shooting their weapons at police officers in Payday 3
Image via Starbreeze Studios

With Payday 3 ever so close to its full release, there is still time to get your hands on the heist-extravaganza early. The early access release kicked off on Sept. 18 and lasts until Sept. 21, so there’s still time.

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You’ll be able to get your hands on all the dough well before anyone who’s patiently waiting for the full release. Players who get their early access Payday 3 copy will have the opportunity to see if it can live up to what its predecessor provided over a decade ago. 

Gamers can plan out their routes and smash through multiple heists before their friends get their copies, preventing many civilian casualties in the process. There are multiple versions of Payday 3, and you just have to be willing to fork out the cash.

How to get early access to Payday 3

Thieves running away with flare popping in Payday 3
Image via Starbreeze Studios

The Silver and Gold Editions are the only copies that provide early access. If you haven’t already paid for either of these editions, you’ll be waiting until its full release. These editions provide three days of early access before Payday 3’s release to the greater public, whereas the others don’t.

You can pre-order Payday 3, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get it early. To get it early, you’ll need to purchase the editions above the base copy.

Inside the Silver Edition, you’ll receive:

  • Three Days Early Access (depending on when you purchased it)
  • A Season Pass
  • Dark Sterling mask

This will set you back $69.99 USD on all platforms.

The Gold Edition includes:

  • Play Early (Three Days)
  • Pre-order bonus
  • SEASON PASS (12 months)
  • Dark Sterling mask
  • Skull of Liberty Mask
  • Gold Slate Gloves

This is priced at $89.99 USD on all platforms.

How to upgrade Payday 3 early access

Unfortunately, you cannot upgrade your Payday 3 copy. The only way to get early access after acquiring the base copy is by refunding your original purchase and then buying the upgraded version.

This is because platforms like Steam work in mysterious ways and will end up charging you for both, despite you only wanting one version. Players have reported this happening to them, and it’s safe to say you don’t want to be next.

If you’ve already purchased a copy and intend to play Payday 3 with the rest of the early-access gamers, you have to refund your copy on Steam. Purchasing the deluxe edition alongside the base copy has ended up with gamers losing more money than they originally planned. 

So refund your Payday 3 on Steam by logging in and heading to their help section. From here, you’ll click “Purchases”, then locate Payday 3

At this point, you won’t have any hours put into it. This means you should be able to refund it easily. Go through all the options provided which detail whether purchased it by accident, and your game will be refunded.

How to refund Payday 3 on console

For PlayStation 5 gamers, you’ll be able to refund your Payday 3 copy. Simply complete a refund request with PlayStation, and if you purchased Payday 3 less than 14 days ago, you’ll likely be able to refund it.

To refund on Xbox, head to Microsoft’s support page. Then select “Open order history”, then find your game and choose “Request a refund”, provide your reasons, and then click next. Once this is done, click submit, and you should have your refund soon.

Now go and purchase the Silver or Gold editions, and you’ll be playing in no time.

Author
Image of Harrison Thomas
Harrison Thomas
CS:GO, Overwatch, and Valorant Staff Writer - Played CS:GO since 2012 and keep a close eye on other titles. Give me a game and I'll write about it. Ranks are private information. Contact harry@dotesports.com