Payday 2 was my first project I worked on. I started on it after release as an intern and then further once I was hired. The pace on Payday was high and usually each level designer shipped several ”heists” each year.
On Payday you had full control of the game play on the map. Starting with the blockout, coming up with the various objectives, adding enemies that spawned using a wave system and also adding randomization to the map, something that was crucial to get the most amount of game play out of the map. Following is a short summary of some of the maps that I worked on.

Boiling Point

Deep in the Siberian forest there is a hidden lab underneath a lumber mill. The Payday gang has to force their way in to the lab using a EMP bomb and find out what is going on there…

Boiling point was the first map of my own design that I created for Payday 2. Since it was based on the movie ”Hardcore Henry” it had to be extreme in terms of the combat. Anti-air guns, an EMP bomb and super soldiers were included to make this one memorable experience. It was voted the best heist of 2016 by the Payday 2 subreddit.

Alaskan Deal

This time the crew is headed for Alaska by train to oversee a weapons deal. Once they arrive however they find themselves betrayed and have to fight their way to a large freight ship and escape.

Alaskan Deal was the last map I made for Payday 2. It was made in a short amount of time, from initial idea to ship was less than 3 months. The concept of the map was created by me and one artist. Due to the lack of production time we decided to keep the map small and use primarily pre-existing assets.
The mission is high-intense, starting with an ambush. What follows is a mix of objectives including escorts, refueling the ship and rescuing prisoners.

Interception

The second day of the Biker heists takes the gang to a train with valuable cargo. Starting at the back they have to fight their way forward through tonnes of enemies and vehicles to get to the loot.

Interception is the most technically advanced map in Payday 2. Because it is set on a moving train all enemies had to be flown in by helicopter, I also added cars on the side of the train and various other enemies to create more intense combat. The layout of the train is randomised and is different each time you play it. This created a very complex navigation for the AI but in the end it turned out great. It is a relatively short map but also one of the most intense maps in Payday.

The design and scripting I created together with one of the other level designers on Payday.

Scarface Mansion

The payday gang gets tasked with a revenge job in the famous Scarface mansion, sneak in or go guns blazing!

Scarface mansion is as it sounds based on Tony Montanas mansion from the movie ”Scarface”. It was a challenge to create a map that is based on such an iconic location and that also works well both in stealth and combat. The result is a over the top revenge job with lots of cocaine and money sprinkled in…

Slaughterhouse

The return of a classic from Payday: The heist. The gang has to attack an armoured convoy to retrieve the gold that it is carrying.

This was the first map I worked on when I started on Payday 2. It is a remake from the first Payday game. I redid all the scripting and navigation as well as added some new randomisation. The result is an improved version of the classic that many people loved from the first game.

Counterfeit

In a suburban house the Payday gang has gotten word of a money printing scheme going on in the basement. They will have to gain access to the basement to steal the plates, or if they are brave – print money while the swats try their best to finish them off…

Counterfeit is another remake from the first game. I took over this map when it was halfway done, I realised quickly that it needed that something extra that it was currently lacking. I made the map ”endless”. That means that the players can stay however long they want and keep printing money in the basement to get more and more money and experience.