Starbreeze Studios

Starbreeze Studios is a Swedish AAA game developer and publisher founded in 1998. Emerging from the demoscene group Triton, the company built an early reputation for atmospheric action and first-person games before becoming closely associated with cooperative crime-action experiences through the PAYDAY franchise.

The studio develops and operates games for PC and consoles, combining full-cycle production across engineering, design, art, animation and audio with publishing and long-term live operations. Its core focus is cooperative first-person shooters and games-as-a-service, supported by continuous updates and downloadable content. Starbreeze also selectively publishes third-party projects and manages its intellectual property across games and other media.

Games and franchises

Its catalogue includes PAYDAY: The Heist, PAYDAY 2 and PAYDAY 3, alongside titles such as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, The Darkness, Syndicate, Enclave and OVERKILL's The Walking Dead.

The company’s publishing activity includes Out of Sight and the console release of Roboquest. In 2025, Starbreeze reacquired full publishing rights to PAYDAY 3 and cancelled the in-development Project Baxter to concentrate resources on the PAYDAY ecosystem.

Technology and live operations

Starbreeze works with Unreal Engine 4 and 5 custom architecture, console optimisation, and live-service operations for its cooperative shooter portfolio. Following a period of restructuring and divestment from non-core initiatives, the company has focused its development and publishing strategy on PAYDAY. In 2026, it also expanded the franchise’s transmedia ambitions through a partnership with VICE Studios to develop live-action film and television adaptations.

Starbreeze Studios operates publicly under the Starbreeze Entertainment branding and remains an active Swedish games business.