Payday 2 dev abandons controversial microtransactions

Payday 2 developer Overkill Software will be phasing out the heist title's controversial microtransactions. 

The news comes immediately after Overkill's parent company, Starbreeze, revealed it had purchased the full rights to Payday from publisher 505 Games. 

By picking up the rights to the franchise Starbreeze has secured complete control, and the studio's first order of business will be freeing up the black market. 

"Starting with the next update, any old generation safe in the loot drop will stop to drop. Any new generation safe, going forward, will drop completely for free," said producer Almir Listo in a video blog.

"You will still be able to trade all the old and new generation safes and items using the Steam Marketplace.

"Your prices, supply and demand, will continue to shape the marketplace, but any new generation safes will be dropping completely for free, and will continue to have different rarities and qualities depending on what kind of item you get. The only difference is, now you open them for free."

Following the introduction of microtransactions in October last year, players could only open safes and unlock new skins and cosmetic items by purchasing a key for $2.50. 

At the time, Listo explained via a Reddit AMA that microtransactions had been added to better support Overkill's burgeoning team. 

"In order to [continue supporting the game], we made the decision to triple the size of the crew. To ensure that we can keep the size of the team, we decided that the best approach was to introduce the Black Market update to the game." wrote Listo.

Fans, though, weren't impressed, with many feeling betrayed by the studio -- which had previously spoken out against microtransactions on multiple occasions. 

Overkill eventually issued an apology, and by scrapping the model altogether has now drawn a line under the debacle. 

"For all the distress we've caused the past few weeks, I'd just like to take the time and say that we’re sorry. We've done a lot of things right in the past, but these past few weeks we screwed up," read the developer's apology.

"We need to get better at many things, and we will do our best to improve as soon as possible."