Starbreeze lands new partner to adapt Payday series for film and TV

Image via Starbreeze Entertainment

Starbreeze Entertainment, the studio known for the Payday series, has partnered with VICE Studios to create adaptations of the franchise.

As per an announcement made yesterday, the partnership aims to create film and television adaptations. The move, according to the studio, aims to support its strategy to expand the franchise into new entertainment formats, while “inviting new audiences.”

“Our goal is to grow Payday from a game into a full entertainment platform, owning the heisting genre,” said Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson. “Payday is the cornerstone franchise for Starbreeze, and we’re highly selective about partners who can expand its universe beyond games. VICE Studios is the perfect partner for this project, combining creative ambition with the production capability to develop premium adaptations that feel authentic to Payday.”

Previously, Starbreeze announced a partnership with production company Stockholm Syndrome back in 2023 to create a live-action adaptation of the series. At the time, Starbreeze called the production company a “great partner and meshes perfectly with our mission to build an even broader and more engaged community” (via GameSpot).

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Yesterday’s announcement doesn’t mention Stockholm Syndrome, but it does not that Starbreeze retains ownership of the Payday intellectual property. VICE Studios, in turn, is best known for the TV show Gangs of London.

It’s unclear if Stockholm Syndrome is still in business. The company’s website is no longer active.

Outside of transmedia efforts, Starbreeze has been struggling to make a headway with Payday 3 since it launched in September 2023. Shortly after its release, it fell short of expectations in the eyes of the studio, leading the publisher to form a “strike team of veteran developers” to rehabilitate the title.

Despite this, as noted in the company’s latest fiscal report, Payday 2 has outperformed its younger sibling during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.

Discussing the company’s internal structure, CEO Kristjansson said Starbreeze has taken “deliberate steps” to simplify and align operations, noting that these changes have “enabled clearer decision-making, improved accountability, and stronger cross-functional collaboration.”

It’s worth remembering that Starbreeze made layoffs late last year after scrapping a Dungeons & Dragons project to refocus on the Payday series. 44 people were set to lose their jobs, while others were expected to be relocated internally.

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