Payday 3 devs are trolling players with classic Rickroll prank ingame
Starbreeze / Rick AstleyPayday 3 developers are trolling players with classic Rickroll pranks in the game, giving players a laugh amid what has been a rocky launch.
Payday 3 officially launched on September 21, and players who have been fortunate to get in and play the game are already discovering hidden surprises. One of the more hilarious additions to the Payday series is what happens when players scan one of the many QR codes scattered around the game’s heist locations.
For instance, a locked door in the Dirty Ice Heist labeled “VIP Showroom” has a scannable QR code just to the right of the door. The code isn’t just hidden away; it’s easily visible and has proven to be enticing enough that some players are grabbing their phones and scanning the code.
But players who are likely expecting to gain access to the locked door are instead being served up Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” on YouTube, in what is a classic Rickroll prank.
Players have been left stunned as clips of the QR code Rickroll have begun circulating on social media. Most players find it hilarious, with some commenting, “This makes up for all the issues,” and another noting, “When developers actually have too much time before the launch deadline,” referencing the game’s rocky launch.
The release of Payday 3 has been marred by a barrage of negative reviews in response to major server issues, matchmaking problems, and the controversial online-only requirement. Fans of the series were able to enjoy offline modes in the past, such as in Payday 2, but the contentious new requirement means that players must register, log in, and stay online even while playing solo.
Unsurprisingly, the move to online-only, combined with server downtimes, has led to widespread criticism, with the game earning a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam after more than 27,000 reviews.
Despite the problematic server issues and the overall “half-baked” state of the game, these cheeky QR codes are providing joy to the community after what has been a rough week.