It’s no secret that Payday 3 has had a rough launch, and honestly, I’m not angry; I’m just disappointed. Payday 3 is already one of my favorite games of 2023, but suffers from one fatal flaw. Most of the time, users can’t even play it. All the internet memes and jokes aside, many are tired of the login bugs and enormous queue times for lobbies. In this guide, let me try and answer the question, Why does Matchmaking take forever in Payday 3?
Related: How to invite and play with friends on Payday 3
Why does Matchmaking take forever in Payday 3? Answered
An Image Payday 3 players can hear – Image: PC Invasion
If you’ve ever sat in a Matchmaking queue for 10 minutes + only for it to throw up a ‘Matchmaking Error’ or leave you in limbo, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, the official response to these issues is light on details. The official Payday 3 Twitter profile has been working overtime, reporting on the Matchmaking status. Unfortunately, the growing trend seems to be it briefly works until it doesn’t, and if you’re not in a heist when that happens, you can’t play. Only the Payday 3 developers can definitively answer why the Matchmaking takes forever. It’s not uncommon for new games to be nigh on unplayable due to a high volume of players. That said, it’s much rarer for those issues to last days on end.
Can I play offline against bots instead of online?
Payday 3 is ‘always online,’ so you can’t play offline no matter what you do. This requirement is why you still have to sit through the matchmaking times if you want to play with bots. If a game requires a constant online connection, server problems can always spoil the experience. This choice has angered many players, as Payday 2 has an offline mode and works regardless of server status.
What can I do to fix the Matchmaking issues in Payday 3?
Unfortunately, players’ hands are tied regarding Matchmaking. If the servers are down, you’re not getting into a game, no matter what you do. In this instance, you can try your luck and queue for a heist, keep an eye on social media platforms, or just play something else. Fortunately, if you manage to get into a game, you’ll unlikely be booted from that. Getting in is the tricky part. Based on correspondence from the Payday 3 social media profile, they are working on the issue, but until it’s fixed, heisters are stuck playing the waiting game.
