Summary
- Payday 3 has six confirmed characters at launch, including fan favorites.
- Many of the playable Payday 3 characters at launch will voiced by their original voice actors.
- Pearl is a brand-new character who brings stealth skills to the Payday Gang, and will be voiced by accomplished voice actress Rebecca LaChance.
game releases on September 21. While its predecessor, Payday 2, would eventually go on to add various characters after its initial launch in 2013, many of these new characters would be introduced through subsequent updates, eventually equaling 22 playable characters. The number of characters in the previous entry has led many to wonder how many characters will be available at the launch of Payday 3 and if they'll see any returning characters make their way to the next entry in the franchise.
Starbreeze Studios, the developers of Payday 3, recently released a trailer on YouTube showcasing two additional characters to the launch of Payday 3, Pearl and Joy. The duo's introduction brings the total count of confirmed characters for Payday 3 at launch to six, though the developers have also already laid out their post-launch DLC plans, which will likely include new selectable heisters.
6 Dallas
Dallas is perhaps one of the most memorable OGs from the entire Payday franchise and has been with the series since day one. As a day-one member of the Payday Gang, Dallas, also known as Nathan Steele, acts as the de facto leader of the original four. His American flag heist mask is pretty iconic, and it would feel wrong to have any Payday game without his inclusion. In Payday 3, Dallas will be voiced by longtime voice actor Simon Kerr, who also voiced the character in the original Payday: The Heist, as well as Payday 2.
5 Chains
Chains is another vital member of the core four in the Payday Gang that was introduced in the first Payday. Officially named Nicolas, Chains is a 10-year military vet known by his white, pink, and blue mask. As the muscle for the squad, he's a no-nonsense criminal with an itchy trigger finger — something that got him booted from the military. Damion Poitier has voiced Chains since the original game and will be reprising his role in Payday 3. Interestingly, Poitier also acted as Chains in the TV series Payday, which debuted in 2013. Unfortunately for the show, it only ran for a single season.
4 Hoxton
Hoxton, not to be confused with Houston, Dallas' brother, was notably left out of the launch Payday 2 but was re-introduced in a subsequent update. Arrested shortly after the events of Payday: The Heist, Hoxton is one of the most memorable of the core crew, donning a terrifying clown mask with a long nose reminiscent to the masks worn in Stanley Kubrick's 1971 movie, A Clockwork Orange. Hoxton is saved in Payday 2 when the gang breaks him out as part of the "Hoxton Breakout" mission.
Officially named James Hoxworth, the character is the only one out of the four that hails from the UK. Pete Gold, the same actor who has voiced Hoxton since Payday: The Heist, will once again reprise his role as the iconic character in Payday 3.
3 Wolf
A Swedish technician donning the white demon mask, Wolf is another core character from the original Payday making their return in Payday 3. As the wildcard in the group, Wolf often exhibits the most extreme emotions out of the four, with unpredictability being at the core of his character. Wolf's actual identity is somewhat a mystery, lending itself well to the unpredictable nature portrayed in the games. A fan favorite — perhaps for all the wrong reasons — Wolf has been a mainstay in the Payday cast from the start.
In Payday 3, Wolf will be voiced for the first time by Nicklas Berglund, who will be replacing the actor who portrayed Wolf in the first and second games, Ulf Andersson, who has since moved on to deg games and started his own game development company, 10 Chambers Collective. While Berglund will have big shoes to fill embodying the iconic Wolf, he's no slouch in his own right, having most recently voiced characters in the 2021 game Biomutant and performing voice work for the English dub of the 2022 mini-series Clark.
2 Joy
Joy is another returning member of the Payday Gang but was first introduced in Payday 2. Initially released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch as the last playable character released for the title, Joy eventually was released for free on the PC version of the game in 2018. Though Joy may not be as rough around the edges as some of the core Payday Gang, she makes up for that with superior technical prowess, capable of hacking even the most sophisticated computer systems.
As a Japense American, Joy is a nod to perhaps the biggest Japanese game company in history, Nintendo. Her awesome LED mask is a reference to the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Cons, with its iconic blue and red and her name is an obvious reference to the handheld console. While Joy isn't the oldest Payday character in the main roster, she was a refreshing late-game addition in the previous title. In Payday 3, actress Siu-see Hung will be reprising her role as Joy.
1 Pearl
Pearl is an all-new character being added as part of the Payday Gang and will be available to play upon launch. She's a con artist who has run scams on the rich. While the least is known about her, considering she's a brand new character — she's a welcome addition to the roster and seems to be a more stealthy character.
Pearl will be voiced by Rebecca LaChance, who is an accomplished video game voice actress who has also voiced characters in games like Arknights, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Horizon Forbidden West. As more Payday 3 updates are released and the release date inches closer, more information should be revealed for new characters that may be added in potential DLC.
Source: PAYDAY 3/YouTube, Ulf Andersson/Facebook
