TL;DR
Fast Travel Games is developing Payday: Aces High, a co-op VR heist shooter. Erik Odeldahl shares insights on game design, content roadmap, and technical considerations. The game launches with six heists and ongoing support is planned.
Fast Travel Games’ Chief Creative Officer Erik Odeldahl confirmed that Payday: Aces High, a cooperative VR heist shooter, will launch with six heists and five difficulty levels, with plans for ongoing content updates. The game is designed to offer both stealth and loud approaches, emphasizing physical interactions and gunplay, and aims to keep players engaged through regular new content and support.
In an interview conducted on August 12, Odeldahl explained that Payday: Aces High will launch with an initial set of six heists, each available at five difficulty levels, allowing players to choose between stealthy or aggressive tactics. The developers plan to release another heist shortly after launch and continue supporting the game with additional content, although specific details about future features remain under wraps.
He also discussed key design choices, including the decision to omit certain features such as hostage exchanges, which proved challenging to implement smoothly in VR. Instead, the team focused on enhancing gunplay, gadgets, and physical interactions to create a more intense and responsive experience. Odeldahl emphasized that maintaining high tempo and avoiding jankiness in VR was a priority, influencing these design decisions.
Research played a role in development; Odeldahl mentioned studying real-world heists and security measures, including a guided tour of a museum inspired by Stockholm’s National Museum of Art. This helped shape the game’s environments and mechanics, aiming for authenticity and immersion. For more on VR heist gameplay, see Payday: Aces High.
Building Payday: Aces High — A Co-op VR Heist Shooter
Chief Creative Officer Erik Odeldahl opens up about game design trade-offs, physical gunplay, real-world heist research, and the content roadmap for Fast Travel Games’ most ambitious VR title yet.
What Makes the Heist Tick
Rather than porting every Payday mechanic to headsets, the team doubled down on what VR does best: presence, physicality, and intensity.
Responsive Weapons
Hands-on gun handling sits at the core of the experience, keeping firefights tactile, punchy, and immediately readable in VR.
Gadgets & Interaction
Scaling walls, disabling security cameras, and manipulating gadgets by hand reinforce immersion and authentic heist craft.
High Pace, Zero Jank
Anything that felt clunky in VR — like hostage exchanges — was cut early to keep the game smooth and intense.
In Odeldahl’s Words
“We decided early on to skip the hostage exchange feature because it was hard to do physically in VR without becoming janky. Instead, we focused on guns, gadgets, and physical interactions to keep the game intense and smooth.”
— Erik Odeldahl, Chief Creative Officer
From Announcement to Ongoing Heists
Fast Travel Games has committed to a live-service mindset, with new heists planned right after launch and continued support beyond.
Announcement
Revealed in 2023 as a flagship co-op VR heist shooter in the Payday universe.
Launch: 6 Heists
Each heist playable at five difficulty levels, supporting stealth or loud tactics.
Post-Launch Heist
An additional heist arrives shortly after launch — details still under wraps.
Ongoing Support
Regular content updates shaped by player feedback to keep crews engaged.
Studying Real-World Heists
Odeldahl’s team researched actual heists and security measures — including a guided tour of a museum inspired by Stockholm’s National Museum of Art — to ground environments and mechanics in reality.
What We Know So Far
| Question | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date? | ~ Unannounced | Expected within the coming months. |
| Platforms? | ~ Partially Confirmed | Primarily targeting PC VR headsets. |
| Multiplayer support? | ✓ Yes | Co-op multiplayer built around teamwork. |
| Post-launch heists? | ✓ Yes | One heist shortly after launch; more to follow. |
| Hostage exchanges? | ✗ Omitted | Too janky in VR; focus shifted elsewhere. |
| Design inspiration? | ~ Revealed | Real heists, security systems, Stockholm museum tour. |
Implications for VR Co-op Heist Gaming
- Physics meets flow: Balancing immersive physical interactions with smooth pacing could set a new standard for VR shooters.
- Sustainable multiplayer: Ongoing content updates signal a long-term, live-service commitment rarely seen in VR.
- Genre growth: Success could encourage other studios to pursue co-op heist titles, expanding the VR market.
- Hardware leverage: The design leans into what VR uniquely offers — hands-on gunplay, gadgets, and presence.
Implications for VR Co-op Heist Gaming
The development of Payday: Aces High highlights a strategic approach to VR game design, balancing immersive physics with gameplay flow. Its planned ongoing content updates suggest a focus on building a sustainable multiplayer experience, which could influence future VR titles in the cooperative genre. The emphasis on physical interactions and high tempo may set new standards for VR shooters, appealing to players seeking intense, realistic heist simulations.
For VR gamers, this project signals a commitment from Fast Travel Games to deliver a polished, replayable experience that leverages the unique capabilities of VR hardware. The game’s success could encourage other developers to pursue similar co-op, heist-based VR titles, expanding the genre and market.
VR gun controllers for shooting games
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Development Background and Design Approach
Fast Travel Games announced Payday: Aces High earlier this year, positioning it as a key title in their VR lineup. The game is inspired by the popular Payday franchise but tailored for VR, emphasizing teamwork, stealth, and gunplay. During development, the team prioritized physical interactions and high-paced gameplay, which led to the omission of features like hostage exchanges that proved difficult to implement smoothly in VR environments.
Odeldahl’s research included studying real-world heists and security systems, including a guided tour of a museum inspired by Stockholm’s National Museum of Art. This research aimed to create authentic environments and mechanics, such as scaling walls and disabling security cameras, to enhance immersion. The team also faced technical challenges, especially related to maintaining smooth interactions with NPCs and avoiding jankiness, which influenced feature selection and game pacing.
“We decided early on to skip in our implementation the hostage exchange feature because it was hard to do physically in VR without becoming janky. Instead, we focused on guns, gadgets, and physical interactions to keep the game intense and smooth.”
— Erik Odeldahl
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Unconfirmed Details About Future Content and Features
Specific details about the additional heists and features planned for post-launch support remain undisclosed. It is also unclear how extensively the game will expand in terms of mechanics or environments beyond the initial six heists. The development team has hinted at other content but has not confirmed what form it will take or when it will be released.
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Next Steps in Development and Community Engagement
Fast Travel Games plans to release another heist shortly after launch, with ongoing updates to follow. The team will likely continue gathering player feedback to refine mechanics and introduce new content. An official release date has not been announced, but the game is expected to launch within the coming months, with further details to be shared through official channels.
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Key Questions
When is Payday: Aces High scheduled to launch?
The exact launch date has not been announced yet, but the game is expected to release within the next few months.
What platforms will Payday: Aces High support?
The game is being developed for VR platforms, primarily targeting PC VR headsets. Specific platform details have not been confirmed.
Will there be multiplayer support?
Yes, Payday: Aces High is designed as a co-op multiplayer game, emphasizing teamwork and shared heist experiences.
Are there plans for additional heists or content after launch?
Yes, the development team plans to add more heists and support the game with ongoing content updates, although specific details are still under wraps.
What inspired the game’s design and environments?
Design inspiration came from studying real-world heists and security systems, including a guided museum tour inspired by Stockholm’s National Museum of Art, to create authentic environments and mechanics.
Source: UploadVR
