Project Overview
Cover image for the project "Making Money."

Making Money: Payday 2 Heist

My fanmade heist for Overkill Studios’ Payday 2. This is not DLC, nor a functioning map; it was created for a fan-held contest to design a Payday heist. The environment was completely modeled in Maya, and textured using photos that I took myself while in DC. The UI overlay was added post-render in Photoshop to simulate real screenshots from the game.

 

Project Details

The main building is an architectural mix between the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and the USDA building next door, plus the columns that are otherwise pretty common to see in Washington DC.

I attended the Bureau of Printing and Engraving’s free, guided walkthrough tour to see inside the building and learn more about how the printing process worked. I took photos for reference and texture mapping.

  • A screenshot of a desktop-based 3D modeling program, showing a building being created with color and texture applied.
  • A screenshot of a desktop-based 3D modeling program, showing the wireframes of a 2-story building being created.
  • A screenshot of a desktop-based 3D modeling program, showing the wireframes of a building being created.
  • A fully-rendered 3D scene overlooking a metro station platform, with two metro trains sitting on opposite sides of the tracks.
  • A 3D render of a metro train car model.
  • The interior view of a 3D model of a metro train car.

This is the heist! It uses the same UI as in-game to walk players through the objectives at each step of the heist.

  • The job overview screen for day 1 of a Payday 2 mission. Bain's mission text reads, "Ever since the economic crash, our paydays just haven't been as...lucrative. But that's hardly our fault- there's just not enough money to go around! So for this heist, I want you to make a trip to the Federal Bureau of Printing and Engraving to try and solve that problem. I say if they won't print it, then we'll just have to to it ourselves. Stealth is an option."
  • Images of the building the heist will be taking place in. The information reads, "The first day of the Making Money heist takes place in the Washington DC Bureau of Printing and Engraving. This heist requires players to infiltrate the Bureau's offices, locate the correct computers and serial numbers, then operate the printing machines to print, cut, and bundle wads of money. Depending on whether or not the heist has gone loud, heisters have the option to either tunnel through the vault's floor using an excavation drill, or blow through with C4. This choice will affect the start of day 2.
  • The first in-game screenshot of the heist mission, showing the interior of a bank lobby. Bain's text says, "Take a look around. This is the bank lobby of the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. But don't worry- we aren't here for a simple bank heist. Mask up when you're ready to go."
  • A security door in the bank's lobby. Bain's text reads, "Locate the security office and get inside. From there, you can disable the cameras and unlock the door to the back rooms."
  • The bank's office space, with many computers. Bain's text reads, "We're looking for the manager's office. Find his computer and hack it."
  • A computer on an office desk. Bain's text reads, "I need you guys to hack into the manager's computer and find the list of valid serial numbers. We're going to want to use the right numbers to print our money, otherwise our bills won't be worth more than the paper they're printed on."
  • A view of the printing and cutting machines in the print room. Bain's text reads, "There's the print room. If you can, try to take the workers hostage. They'll be able to work the machines for you."
  • A view of the money printing machine, with a large sheet of bills sitting on the output tray. Bain's text reads, "Great! Now take those printed sheets to the cutter."
  • The interior of the cash vault, showing options to place C4 or drill through the floor. Bain's text reads, "We're going to be escaping down and out, heisters. Use C4 to blow a hole in the floor, or use the drill to tunnel out, depending on if you want to keep your escape quiet."
  • The job overview screen for day 2 of a Payday 2 mission. Bain's mission text reads, "Gotta love the Metro. Luckily for us, the train tunnels run right underneath this building. Get the loot down there, then haul ass toward the platform and load it on to the next train. I've got a control guy who will switch the tracks down the line to deliver you and your car full of cargo to the railyard, where the van will be waiting. Stealth is an option."
  • Images of the metro station that the second day of the heist will be taking place in. The information reads, "The second day of the Making Money heist takes place in the Washington DC Metro tunnels. The heist begins at the tunnel drilled through the ground in Day 1. The players must move their bags of loot towards the front of the train, controlling cars full of civilians as they progress. Once they reach the front of the train, they must gain access to the control room and commandeer the train away from the station towards the railyard, where the van will be waiting."
  • Bags of cash sitting on a maintenance platform within the train tunnels. Bain's text reads, "There's the Green line train at the station. You can sneak on board through the door on the back of the train and make your way through the cars."
  • A close-up view of the Metro train car, with its back door ajar. Bain's text reads, "Good, you're on the train. You'll need to make your way up the cars to the front of the train and the conductor's cabin. Try to control the civilians in each car as you go."
  • Interior of the metro train car, with bags of cash on the floor. Bain's text reads, "There's the driver's cabin up ahead. Get in there and start the train. I've got a guy in Metro control who will switch the tracks in the tunnels for you to direct the train towards the railyard."
  • A close-up of the door to the train conductor's cabin, showing options to saw, drill, or explode it open. Bain's text reads, "That's the control room- Get in there and start up the train. Don't worry about steering; I'll have the track direction switched to take you to the van."
  • A close-up view of the train control panel, with buttons and levers. Bain's text says, "Get in there and start the train! Press buttons, pull levers, maybe turn a key? I don't know. I've never driven a train before."
  • A view looking out over the train control panel of the trainyard outside, with the escape van waiting a short distance away. Bain's text reads, "There's the van. Get in there and let's get out of here!"