In a bid to welcome users of Valve’s Linux-based operating system, the SteamOS version of Payday 2 will be free to download for players who previously purchased the Windows edition via Steam. Players across all supported platforms will be able to experience the game’s included multiplayer modes free of charge through March 31.
Payday 2 and its associated downloadable content are also on sale through the rest of March. The Payday 2 base game is currently priced at $5, and a Game of the Year Edition that includes 14 DLC packs is available for under $13.
This week’s SteamOS launch follows up on a series of missteps and controversial decisions from Payday 2‘s’s developers in recent months, including the introduction of balance-upsetting microtransactions. The change directly contrasts a previously issued promise from Overkill Software that Payday 2 “will have no microtransactions whatsoever.”
Payday 2‘s microtransactions launched as part of October’s Black Market Update, sparking a fan backlash that continues months later. Despite Overkill Software producer Almir Listo admitting “we screwed up” and promising that “we will do our best to improve as soon as possible,” microtransactions remain a core part of Payday 2‘s gameplay.
In addition to producing frequent content updates and expansions for Payday 2, Overkill Software is also working on a first-person shooter for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PCs based on Robert Kirkman’s zombie-themed comic book and television series The Walking Dead.
Like Payday 2, Overkill’s adaptation of The Walking Dead will focus on cooperation among a team of players throughout its included campaign. Overkill’s The Walking Dead will hit consoles and PCs by the end of 2016.
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