Introduction
Payday 2 is one of those games that simply refuses to die. Originally released in 2013 by Overkill Software, this cooperative first-person shooter quickly became a cult classic, loved for its intense heist mechanics, character customization, and satisfying progression system. Over the years, the game has seen countless DLCs, updates, and expansions that kept players coming back for more. Its enduring appeal lies in its unique blend of planning, teamwork, stealth, and chaotic shootouts. If you’ve ever dreamed of pulling off a cinematic bank robbery with your friends, this game is practically mandatory. Given how many games cycle through limited-time free offers on major PC storefronts, one of the most frequent questions new players ask is: Is Payday 2 free on Epic Games?
The Appeal Of Free Games On Epic Games Store
Epic Games Store has made a name for itself by giving away a constant stream of free games every week. Since 2018, Epic has used this aggressive giveaway strategy to lure users away from Steam, offering popular AAA and indie games entirely free of charge for a limited time. This tactic has successfully built Epic’s user base into the hundreds of millions, and players have grown accustomed to checking the store each week to see what’s free. Because so many high-profile titles have been included—from GTA V to Control to Borderlands: The Handsome Collection—many fans have begun to ask whether Payday 2 will get the same treatment. After all, Payday 2 is a perfect candidate: popular enough to draw attention, old enough that its developers might welcome a new injection of players who could then buy DLC. So the question becomes: Has Payday 2 ever been free on Epic? And will it be free in the future?
Payday 2’s Status On The Epic Games Store
As of today, Payday 2 is available for purchase on multiple PC storefronts, most notably Steam, where it has been the main home of the franchise since its launch. For a long time, Payday 2 was not available on the Epic Games Store at all. That changed in June 2023, when Starbreeze Studios announced that Payday 2 would finally launch on Epic. This release excited fans who prefer Epic’s launcher, especially because Epic often offers substantial discounts or coupons. However, Payday 2 was not released as a free game on Epic. Instead, it launched at a low price point, with frequent sales bringing it even lower. At times you might see it for a few dollars, or bundled with certain Epic discount coupons that effectively make it nearly free. But there has been no period in which Epic simply gave it away without requiring payment.
Have There Been Free Offers Elsewhere?
While Epic hasn’t given away Payday 2, it’s worth noting that Payday 2 has indeed been free on other platforms in the past. Most famously, Overkill offered the base game entirely free on Steam in 2017 as part of an effort to promote their then-upcoming Payday 3 and build the community. During this event, 5 million copies of Payday 2 were given away, permanently added to users’ Steam libraries at no cost. This free giveaway on Steam generated a huge surge in player count, helping to keep the game alive even years after its original release. However, that promotion was limited to Steam and did not extend to Epic Games Store or other platforms.
Why Would Epic Make Payday 2 Free?
Many players wonder why Epic hasn’t offered Payday 2 free yet, especially considering their history of generous giveaways. The answer might be partly business and partly timing. Payday 2’s developers have relied heavily on ongoing DLC sales to support development, and giving away the base game can be a good strategy to sell add-ons. But the 2017 Steam giveaway already did this on PC’s largest platform. By the time Payday 2 hit Epic in 2023, the game was already extremely cheap and regularly on sale. For Epic to justify making it free, they’d need to negotiate with Starbreeze and ensure they both see value—perhaps in bringing in new players for Payday 3’s marketing cycle. At the time of writing, Epic and Starbreeze have not done this, but there is always a possibility in the future. Epic has repeatedly surprised players with unexpected freebies, so Payday 2 might still join that list one day.
Current Pricing On Epic Games Store
If you check the Epic Games Store today, you’ll usually find Payday 2 listed for a very low price. The base game often hovers around $5–$10, and periodic sales can drop it to $1–$3. Epic is also known for distributing $10 coupons during storewide sales, meaning that at times you can apply a coupon to make the game effectively free or nearly free if your purchase total meets the minimum requirement. However, these coupons can have restrictions (like requiring a minimum cart value) that prevent you from snagging just Payday 2 for $0 outright. Despite that, savvy shoppers can often build a cheap cart with other games or DLC to maximize the coupon’s benefit.
The Role Of DLC And Bundles
One reason Payday 2’s base game has gone cheap is that the real money is in the DLC. Payday 2 has one of the most extensive DLC lineups of any shooter on the market, with dozens of paid add-ons including new heists, characters, weapons, and cosmetic packs. While the base game is fun and offers lots of replay value on its own, the full experience is undeniably shaped by these DLC packs. Starbreeze’s business model relies on keeping players hooked and buying new content. This is part of why the game can be offered for free or nearly free on occasion—it acts as a gateway to these add-ons. On Epic, you can often find bundle deals that discount the DLC heavily alongside the base game, but there has not yet been a bundle that is completely free.
Epic Games Store’s Free Games Strategy
Epic’s giveaway model has always been about boosting its user base and getting players locked into its ecosystem. They choose games that will get people talking, whether they’re major AAA blockbusters or smaller indie hits. When they give away a game, they pay the developer/publisher a negotiated fee to compensate for lost sales. That means making a game free on Epic is often a carefully planned marketing move between Epic and the game’s owners. For Payday 2, it seems that deal simply hasn’t happened yet. But given how aggressive Epic has been in signing such deals, it’s not unthinkable that it could happen in the future, especially if Starbreeze wants to promote Payday 3 or another major update.
Is Payday 2 Free Anywhere Right Now?
At the time of writing, Payday 2 is not available for free on any major PC platform. On Steam, Epic, and other PC storefronts, you’ll need to pay for it, though prices are often extremely low during sales. Console versions also require purchase, although they too get discounted regularly. No major free-to-play conversion has occurred for Payday 2 in the way some older multiplayer games have done to revive player bases. Instead, the developers have stuck with a low-price strategy to keep the barrier to entry low without making it fully free.
Why Players Keep Asking About Free Availability?
There’s a reason this question is so common. Payday 2’s popularity spans over a decade, and it attracts a steady flow of new players who hear about its amazing co-op gameplay but don’t want to pay full price. Since Epic has conditioned users to expect regular high-profile giveaways, any older game joining the Epic catalog sparks speculation that it might be next on the giveaway list. Payday 2’s frequent low pricing and its 2017 free Steam giveaway only amplify that assumption. The result is a constant stream of players searching online for “Is Payday 2 free on Epic Games?” hoping to find that magical giveaway page. For now, though, they’ll be disappointed.
How To Get Payday 2 Cheap (If Not Free)?
Even if it’s not free, Payday 2 is rarely expensive. Players who want it cheap should watch for major store sales like Epic’s seasonal Mega Sale or Steam’s Summer and Winter sales. During these events, Payday 2 often drops to its absolute minimum pricing, sometimes around $1 or bundled with DLC at steep discounts. On Epic, you can also wait for those $10 coupons, which can make a larger purchase with Payday 2 included effectively free if your cart hits the minimum spend. You can also watch for bundle deals on sites like Humble Bundle, which occasionally offer Payday 2 plus DLC at incredibly low prices. While these deals aren’t permanent or guaranteed, they’re frequent enough that patient shoppers rarely pay full price.
The Future: Payday 3 And Its Impact On Promotions
One important factor to consider is Payday 3. Starbreeze Studios launched Payday 3 in September 2023, hoping to revitalize the franchise with modern graphics, refined gameplay, and a new live-service model. The launch of Payday 3 could impact Payday 2’s pricing strategy in big ways. Historically, when studios release a new game in a series, they often slash prices or even give away the older title to build hype and expand the fan base. That’s exactly what Overkill did in 2017 before Payday 2’s big content revamp. If Payday 3 needs more players or wants to cross-promote, Starbreeze and Epic might agree to give away Payday 2 free on Epic Games Store. In that sense, Payday 2’s future free status is not impossible, just uncertain.
Alternatives To Payday 2 On Epic Games Store
If you’re looking for something similar that is free on Epic, there are a few options, even if none are perfect substitutes. Epic frequently gives away shooters with co-op modes, tactical gameplay, or heist themes. Games like Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Watch Dogs 2, and even GTA V have all been free on Epic in the past. While they’re not exactly Payday 2 clones, they scratch similar itches of crime-themed action, co-op play, and urban environments. For now, though, there’s no heist-focused co-op shooter on Epic that’s permanently free.
Payday 2 Vs Other Heist Games
One reason people remain so interested in Payday 2’s availability is its unique niche. There simply aren’t many games that offer the same detailed, team-based heist gameplay. Games like GTA Online have heists, but they’re embedded in a much larger, often chaotic open world. Other tactical shooters like Rainbow Six Siege focus on competitive PvP rather than PvE heist missions. Even Payday 3, while promising, launched with a smaller set of heists and mixed early reviews, leading many fans to stick with Payday 2’s mature, content-rich offering. This niche dominance is part of why Payday 2 remains in demand and why people keep asking if it will go free again.
Will Payday 2 Ever Be Free On Epic Games Store?
No one can predict the future with certainty, but it’s certainly possible. Epic has a long track record of surprising giveaways, and the fact that Payday 2 is on the Epic Games Store at all is a good sign. The stars would need to align—a good marketing push, a Payday 3 tie-in event, or a desire by Starbreeze to reinvigorate the community. But for now, players shouldn’t count on it happening soon. The best strategy is to treat it as a paid game with frequent discounts, and to keep an eye on Epic’s weekly free game announcements just in case.
Conclusion
To sum it up, Payday 2 is not free on Epic Games Store at this time. It was not given away for free during its 2023 launch on Epic, and there have been no Epic Games Store promotions that made it free to keep permanently. While it has been free in the past on Steam, that was a one-time event in 2017. Epic Games Store does offer frequent sales and coupons that can bring the price extremely low—sometimes even effectively free in the right cart scenario—but it is not officially part of Epic’s free games lineup. For now, Payday 2 remains a paid title on Epic, albeit a very affordable one. Fans hoping to snag it for free should keep an eye on future Epic giveaways, especially if Starbreeze decides to use the tactic to promote Payday 3 or any new DLC. Until then, it’s worth grabbing during sales for just a few dollars, ensuring you get hundreds of hours of co-op fun with your friends.