Payday 2 goes free on Steam, but only while supplies last

Overkill Software has made Payday 2 temporarily free a few times in the past—trial weekends, a free week, that sort of thing. But now, while supplies last (only five million copies available!), it and Payday 2 VR are straight-up, keep-them-forever free on Steam.

The studio announced last month that Payday 2 and its great abundance of DLC would be consolidated into a single "Ultimate Edition" package. The all-in version of the game will go $45, while existing owners will have the option to upgrade, with pricing based on how much DLC they already have.

The changeover process is still underway, however, so while the existing DLC has all been removed, the Ultimate Edition is not yet available for purchase. So while that all grinds through the system, Overkill has made the base game temporarily free for the taking.

A freebie Q&A thread is available here if you have questions, but it's something of a goat rodeo, as you might expect—it seems that some people aren't happy that a game they paid for in 2014 is now free. An easier source of answers can be found at the Payday 2 Ultimate Edition FAQ.

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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.