Payday 3 is running a closed beta next week, including one heist and most weapons
Testing their servers before launch
Thieving co-op revival Payday 3 is due for release in September, but it'll enter closed beta next week. From August 2nd until August 7th, players accepted into the beta will be able to play a single heist so that developers Starbreeze can test their servers and the game's stability.
You can apply for the closed beta by pressing the 'request access' button at the top of the Payday 3 Steam page. You'll receive an email if you're granted access, with new players selected randomly and added periodically.
The beta will contain one heist, four characters to play as, and "most, but not all" weapons and cosmetics. There's also a level cap of 22, meaning it won't be possible to get all skill points during the beta. When the beta ends, your progress also won't carry over to the full game.
Starbreeze posted a closed beta FAQ if you need more details.
Payday 3 was announced all the way back in 2016, although in the time since owners Starbreeze entered administration and almost closed down. It was only really last month that we got a proper look at Payday 3 during the Xbox Games Showcase.
Surprise: it looks like Payday, which is no bad thing. Payday 2 was a breezy first-person shooter and daft heist 'em up about busting into banks, the White House, a secret Illuminati base, and anywhere else you could think to bust into. It was also supported with new, free heists for years after release. Hopefully Payday 3 continues in kind.