One of Payday 3’s biggest allures is mountains of cash, as you can spend your spoils on new weapons and cosmetics. The issue is most of the shop inventory is level-gated, and without a steady flow of XP, your money is almost worthless. But fear not, heisters; there are ways to earn tons of XP quickly. These methods aren’t going to fill your coffers in a hurry, but once you’ve mastered the route, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank, so to speak. This is how to farm XP fast in Payday 3.
Related: How to get C-Stacks in Payday 3
How to farm XP fast in Payday 3
Let me preface this guide by explaining how it works. I’ll explain a route through a heist that will take a few tries to learn. Once you’ve mastered it, you can complete everything in under 5 minutes. The rewards won’t look like much, but you can repeat this so fast that you’ll accumulate tons of XP in no time. In my research, I’ve seen this route described by numerous players, but I have to credit Ape Knight Gaming on YouTube for this method.Â
Start by choosing the Dirty Ice heist on Normal, and make sure you have a silenced weapon. Remember, the silencer is immediately available for the pistol.
Enter the alleyway
Image: PC Invasion
Head into the alleyway, put your mask on, and then climb on top of the van to the roof. When you’re up here, walk toward the Jewelry Store, shoot to break the window, and jump inside. Cameras can spawn in several locations, so shoot any that you see. There’s usually a guard patrolling the area. Feel free to take them out if they get in your way.
Take the Civ to the Manager’s Office
Image: PC Invasion
There’s always an executive on this floor. Take them hostage and throw them in the Manager’s Office. Make sure you tie them up so they don’t escape. You will need to scan a phone as well as it grants access to the VIP room. You’ll often find one in the office, but it can also spawn in the bathroom by the window you came from.Â
Get access to the basement
Wifi password location – Image: PC Invasion
Check the Manager’s PC for the basement code. It’s a hint, but you’ll know where to go for it after a few runs. If the clue is “the employee of the month,” you can view that through the door in the VIP room directly opposite the manager’s office. If it’s not that, it’s usually the wifi password on the whiteboard in the staff room.
Inside the basement
Image: PC Invasion
Use your code to enter the basement, kill the guard, and shoot both cameras. Don’t forget to answer the guard’s radio to prevent the alarm. Lockpick into the room at the back. Grab the Red Keycard and pull the lever on the wall before returning upstairs.Â
Return to the VIP room
The lever you pulled in the basement disables the alarms on the cases in this room. Lockpick the two display cases closest to the door, then return to the manager’s office.
Secure the Rare Stones
Image: PC Invasion
Remember our friend on the floor of the manager’s office? Grab them and shove them toward the small red button on the table. The NPC will briefly interact with the button, and that’s your cue to interact with the safe just outside the office. The safe will open if the button and card reader are used simultaneously. Take the stones and prepare for the getaway.
Escape without raising suspicion
Haul the stones and loot from the two display cases in the VIP room over to the van. You’ll likely have to kill a guard outside, but make sure you can reach the body if you do as you’ll need to answer the call. I usually tie up any civilians, but a bullet is quicker. You’ll take a cash penalty but will still leave with the XP.
It may sound like a lot to do, but this route quickly becomes muscle memory. Plenty of other well-documented XP farming routes exist, but I like this one as it’s easy to learn, and there’s room for error. With practice, you can complete this heist extremely fast.
