How to Fix Payday 3 Matchmaking Not Working

Starbreeze Studios and Deep Silver have done an amazing job with the release of PAYDAY 3, the highly-anticipated sequel to the popular co-op shooter known as ‘PAYDAY’. This high-octane FPS title is the third installment in the Payday series and is receiving positive feedback from the gaming community. However, there seem to be several initial issues or bugs with the game that the developers will need more time to address. Currently, Payday 3’s matchmaking is not working for multiple players, preventing them from finding matches.

Looking at the reports on the r/paydaytheheist subreddit forum, it is clear that many players are experiencing matchmaking issues in Payday 3. The matchmaking process takes too long, even while in invite mode, with some players waiting for more than 10 or even 20 minutes. This can be incredibly frustrating for any player. Some players are also experiencing similar issues in solo mode, which is something that needs improvement.

Payday 3 Matchmaking Not Working, How to Fix Can’t Find Matches

At the time of writing this article, Payday 3 team is aware of the slow matchmaking issue which is a good thing and they’ve already acknowledged the same via the official @PAYDAYGame Twitter handle. They have assured us that the team is investigating this issue and working on a solution. So, basically, there is nothing to worry about it. However, if you don’t want to wait further then you can try some of the potential workarounds below that should come in handy.

We have deployed some fixes, but we're still seeing instability in the matchmaking. We're continuing investigation and will keep working on addressing this.

— PAYDAY 3 (@PAYDAYGame) September 22, 2023

Make sure to follow all troubleshooting methods until the matchmaking process has been fixed. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.

1. Check the Payday Server Status

First, you should check the Payday server status to ensure there is an issue with the server connectivity or not. If the game servers are down or going through maintenance, the chances are high that you’ll encounter matchmaking issues. It’s better to wait for a couple of hours and then try again later.

Servers down

— Nerko (@nerko_io) September 22, 2023

At the time of writing this article, we can see that there are some issues with the servers which affects matchmaking to the multiple players. So, waiting for a while or trying to get into the game during an off-peak time can be helpful.

2. Restart the PC or Console

It’s highly recommended to simply restart your PC or the console to check if the system glitch and cache data issue has been fixed or not.

3. Run Payday 3 as an Administrator

Ensure to run the Payday3.exe app as an administrator on the PC by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the system permission while running programs.

• Go to the installed game directory.
• Right-click on the Payday3.exe application file on your PC.
• Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

4. Check the Internet Connection

You can also check the internet connection at your end whether it’s working fine or not. A slow or unstable network connectivity can trigger several issues. In some cases, too many devices are connected to the same network which can also reduce the data speed. If you’re using Wi-Fi, try using an ethernet connection for better stability. Otherwise, try using a different connection instead.

5. Update Payday 3

It’s also recommended to simply update the Payday 3 game respective to your gaming platform to ensure there is no outdated patch version or bug present. You can follow the steps below to do so.

Steam:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Payday 3 > Select Properties.
• Then click on Updates > From Automatic Updates, make sure to select Only update this game when I launch it.
• Now, launch the game, and wait for it to download whenever available.
• Go back to the Updates section and select High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others (if you want).

For Xbox:

• Go to Payday 3 on the Xbox dashboard.
• Hit the Start button and select Manage Game and Add-ons.
• Now, you’ll check if there is an update available or not.
• If available, select Update All.
• Once done, re-launch the game to check for the issue.

For PlayStation:

• Turn On your PS4/PS5 console > Go to the Home screen.
• Now, navigate to the main menu on top.
• Head over to the Games tab.
• Select Payday 3 to highlight it.
• Press the Options button on your controller.
• Finally, choose Check for Update from the drop-down menu.

6. Verify and Repair the Game Files

Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC might also trouble you a lot while launching the title and even server connectivity. It’s always better to verify and repair the game files by following the steps below on your PC to avoid errors.

• Open Steam > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Payday 3 in your library.
• Go to Settings and select Properties.
• Click on Local Files and select Verify integrity of game files.
• Wait for the process to complete.

7. Update the Network Driver

It may also be possible that somehow your networking driver becomes outdated for a while and that’s why you’re encountering issues with the server connectivity. To do this:

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Select Device Manager > Double-click on Network adapters.
• Now, right-click on the active network adapter.

• Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the update.
• Once done, you can restart your computer to apply changes.

8. Turn Off Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall basically prevents unauthorized ongoing connections from the PC to online servers. You can try turning it off temporarily to check for the issue again.

• Open the Start Menu > Type Windows Firewall and click on Windows Defender Firewall from the search result.

• Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.

• Make sure to turn off all the Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings options.
• Finally, click on OK to save changes > Restart the PC to apply changes.

9. Disable Antivirus

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender antivirus protection on your PC to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking the game files from running properly.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
• Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
• Go to Virus & Threat Protection > Click on Manage Settings.
• Next, you’ll need to Turn Off the Real-time Protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.

Note: If you’re using any other third-party antivirus program on your PC then just turn off the real-time protection feature.

10. Avoid Using VPN

Try skipping to use a VPN or Proxy server at your end to check if the server connectivity or matchmaking error happening further. VPNs generally offer better connectivity to the geo-restricted content or games but sometimes it may increase the ping delay and latency which eventually ruins the matchmaking process.

11. Wait for the Patch Update

If none of the workarounds did come in handy then make sure to wait for the next patch update until the problem has been fixed. Developers will need some time to investigate and provide a solution to it.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.