Den of Wolves: A Unique Blend of Payday, Cyberpunk, and Heat That Reinvents the Co-Op Heist Genre

Everything went off the rails. We’d put so much effort into planning every detail of this heist. Before we made our move, my team and I had spent days doing the groundwork: scoping out the high-tech bank, gathering the gadgets needed for the job, and preparing a swarm of attack drones to help us sneak into the target zone under the guise of delivery guys. We were confident in our flawless plan. But, just like any epic heist, something unexpected happened.

It was greed, as always. We had already snagged our main prize—a trove of data from the brain of a tech-obsessed CEO, secured in a high-tech cocoon. We hacked into his brain, swiped the plans, and were ready for extraction. Then, one of my teammates, actually a developer from 10 Chambers, suggested, “Why not grab some extra loot from the other vaults?”

Why not, right? Our getaway plan—a daring base jump from a skyscraper resembling something you’d see in Dubai—was set and ready. A few more sacks of cash wouldn’t break the plan, or so we thought. But as soon as we moved into position on the mezzanine, the place was crawling with an army of security robots and hired guns, armed to the teeth. One teammate got caught in the chaos of the main lobby’s killing field. A 10 Chambers developer watching the right side got surprised by a grenade. Meanwhile, I was holding the back position, preparing to make a swift exit, when a sharpshooter with a DMR took a shot at me from across the hall. And just like that, our perfectly planned heist unraveled.

For anyone wondering, this game knows how to run a heist. I like that things can just fall apart, no matter how much you plan. “I’ve never seen that many enemies spawn in so fast,” said one of the developers. “It’s a reminder that anything can happen!” That randomness is what makes Den of Wolves stand out among its peers. In Payday and Payday 2, you jump into a heist without much planning. One player might try sneaking, another go in guns blazing, while someone else could be lost in their own world.

That’s not the case in Den of Wolves. This game is all about preparation. It’s like planning a heist with Ocean’s 11: someone channels their inner George Clooney to lay out the plan, another plays the cool and disinterested Brad Pitt, and there’s always a Matt Damon willing to take risks to prove a point.

“As I see it, it’s more like the movie Heat,” commented Simon Viklund, 10 Chambers’ co-founder and narrative director, during our mission debrief. “Think about it. In Heat, the crew preps with explosives, steals an ambulance, and pulls off a big job. They plan meticulously, and you see them do it.” Den of Wolves takes its cues from this meticulous preparation, requiring you to complete smaller missions to gear up, ensure you have an escape plan, and tip the scales in your favor before diving into the story-driven heists.

Here’s a taste of how it plays out: Before a main heist (which can stretch up to 40 minutes), there’s a shorter prep mission (around 10 minutes). Our task here was breaking into a heavily guarded facility to ‘borrow’ an assault drone. This drone, hidden cleverly in a package, helped us reach the vault with little resistance by taking out threats from the inside. With the drone paving our way, we successfully breached the target zone.

“It’s a more intense and serious take than Ocean’s movies,” Viklund chuckled. “It gives players more choices. You can tailor your approach for each mission, choosing between stealth, sniper, or assault builds based on your prep.” Maybe that’s where I blew it. As a sharpshooter, hitting targets from a distance with a battle rifle or DMR is my comfort zone. But had I known about the wave of enemies late in the mission, an SMG or incendiary devices might have been the wiser choice. Alas, I could only reflect on these missteps from above.

Den of Wolves adds another layer to what Payday did—something the 10 Chambers team, with its roots in both Payday games, is well equipped to do. There’s more risk, more strategy, and a higher volatility factor. It keeps you on the edge, like its hardcore co-op shooter predecessor, GTFO. However, don’t be discouraged. Den of Wolves is accessible; our own eagerness and overconfidence were our downfalls, not the game itself.

The game’s cyberpunk backdrop enhances its appeal with responsive, impactful gameplay. DMRs pack a punch, and the pistol—more akin to a Desert Eagle—shakes foes and robots alike. Carrying a loot bag naturally affects your movement, making you tilt under the weight of $100k. Engaging an enemy while hiding behind an energy shield feels strategic and gratifying as enemy bullets harmlessly deflect off.

Keep in mind that this isn’t even in early access; I’m playing a version that’s in very early development stages, yet it feels this polished. This gameplay cycle—plan, prepare, infiltrate, raid, escape, and repeat—promises to become more addictive with time, as more weapons and strategies become available. Borrowing elements that made Payday groundbreaking in 2011, Den of Wolves raises the stakes considerably. Ulf Andersson, the imaginative mind behind Payday, has been nursing the idea of a sci-fi heist game even before the original’s release—and Den of Wolves is the result of this long-nurtured passion.

You can feel it. Den of Wolves is a well-crafted, highly polished game that prioritizes gameplay, something that perhaps Payday 3 missed. Recognizing the current gaming landscape’s need for a compelling co-op heist shooter, 10 Chambers is focusing its efforts on ensuring Den of Wolves fills that niche beautifully. With thoughtful monetization strategies and a keen understanding of the heist-shooter dynamic, Den of Wolves is shaping up to be the most thrilling entry in the genre since its beginnings. All that remains is to see if 10 Chambers can deliver fully on this vision.

Den of Wolves is slated to enter Early Access soon, launching on PC, with the exact release window still to be announced.