Manual Installation

The recommended workflow is to install PDML mods as complete folders under PAYDAY3/Mods/. Close PAYDAY 3 before adding, updating, or removing mod files.

Download a mod

  1. Open PAYDAY 3 on ModWorkshop and choose a mod.

  2. Read its description, dependencies, and installation instructions. Check that the release supports your game version, and choose the PDML version when one is available.

  3. Download the mod and any required dependencies. Extract downloaded archives so you can copy the complete mod folders into the game.

Find the game folder

Open PAYDAY 3’s installation folder using your game launcher. In Steam, right-click PAYDAY 3 in your library and select Manage > Browse local files.

The paths below are relative to the folder containing the game’s PAYDAY3 directory. For example, a Steam installation can look like this:

steamapps/common/PAYDAY3/
`-- PAYDAY3/
    |-- Content/
    `-- Mods/

Install PDML

PDML is the runtime loader required by PDML mods. Install it using the instructions supplied with its download before adding your mods.

Install a PDML mod

Put the whole mod folder in:

PAYDAY3/Mods/

  1. Open the game’s PAYDAY3 directory and create a folder named Mods if it does not exist.

  2. Find the extracted mod folder containing its .uplugin file.

  3. Copy that complete folder into Mods, preserving every file and subfolder supplied by the author.

  4. Install required PDML dependencies in the same way, following any additional instructions on their download pages.

  5. Start PAYDAY 3 with PDML installed and check that the mod is loaded.

The resulting layout should look like this:

PAYDAY3/
`-- Mods/
    |-- ExampleMod/
    |   |-- ExampleMod.uplugin
    |   `-- ... all supplied files and subfolders ...
    `-- AnotherMod/
        |-- AnotherMod.uplugin
        `-- ... all supplied files and subfolders ...

Keep each PDML mod together as one folder. Its .uplugin file should be directly inside that folder, for example PAYDAY3/Mods/ExampleMod/ExampleMod.uplugin.

Avoid adding an extra archive wrapper folder such as PAYDAY3/Mods/ExampleMod-download/ExampleMod/. Keep the packaged content inside the mod folder; do not extract individual .pak, .utoc, or .ucas files into Content/Paks/~mods.

See PDML Mod Loading for more on how PDML discovers these folders.

Update or remove a mod

Close the game and follow the author’s update instructions. Replace the old mod folder with the complete new version, keeping any mod-specific configuration the author tells you to preserve. To uninstall a PDML mod, remove its folder from PAYDAY3/Mods/.

If a mod fails to load, check that PDML is installed, the .uplugin file is directly inside the mod folder, and all dependencies are present. If it causes a crash, check its compatibility and try it without other mods. Use the mod’s ModWorkshop page to check for updates or report the problem to its author.

Older loose PAK mods

Loose PAK installations are being phased out in favour of PDML. Use this method only for a download distributed as a loose PAK mod; moving a PAK file into PAYDAY3/Mods/ does not turn it into a PDML mod.

Follow the author’s instructions, usually copying the .pak file and any matching .utoc and .ucas files into PAYDAY3/Content/Paks/~mods/. Keep matching files together. PAYDAY 3 on UE5 loads these directly without a PAK unlocker or extra launch option.

To remove a loose PAK mod, close the game and remove its files from ~mods. When switching to a PDML release of the same mod, remove the old loose PAK version first.

Prefer managing your downloads in one place? See Installing with Mod Organizer 2.