Installing with Mod Organizer 2

Mod Organizer 2 (MO2) can manage PAYDAY 3 mods with ModWorkshop’s MO2 plugins. These add PAYDAY 3 support, ModWorkshop downloads, and installers for additional file formats.

Prefer PDML releases when downloading mods. Each PDML mod must remain a complete folder under PAYDAY3/Mods/, including its .uplugin file and all packaged content.

Install MO2 and the plugins

  1. Download the installer from the MO2 releases page and install it.

  2. Close MO2 if it is running.

  3. Download ModWorkshop - Mod Organizer 2 Plugins and extract the archive.

  4. Copy the plugin files into the plugins folder inside your MO2 installation, following the package’s folder layout. Replace existing plugin files if prompted.

  5. Start MO2 and create an instance for PAYDAY 3. A global instance is the usual choice. If the game is not detected, select its installation folder manually.

If PAYDAY 3 is missing from the supported games, check that the ModWorkshop plugins were installed in the MO2 copy you are running, then restart MO2.

Download and install mods

Install PDML using the instructions supplied with its download. MO2 manages your mod files; PDML loads PDML mods when PAYDAY 3 starts.

Keep your PAYDAY 3 instance open while downloading from ModWorkshop. Choose the PDML release when available, read its compatibility notes, and install its listed dependencies too.

  1. Click Install with Mod Organizer 2 on a supported mod page. The option may also appear in the download dropdown.

  2. Allow the browser to open MO2 when prompted.

  3. When the download finishes, double-click it in MO2’s Downloads tab to install it.

  4. Enable the installed mod in the main mod list.

If a mod has no MO2 download option, download it normally and drag the file into MO2’s Downloads tab, then install it from there. Check the author’s instructions if MO2 cannot recognise the package layout.

Keep the PDML folder layout

For a PDML package, check that the installed files will appear to the game as PAYDAY3/Mods/<ModName>/<ModName>.uplugin, with the rest of the mod’s files and subfolders intact beside it. MO2 may provide these files through its virtual filesystem when launching the game.

If the plugin does not recognise a PDML package or cannot preserve this layout, use Manual Installation to copy the whole mod folder into PAYDAY3/Mods/.

A PDML mod’s packaged files belong inside its mod folder. Installing only its PAK files into Content/Paks/~mods loses the PDML package structure.

Launch and manage your mods

Select PAYDAY 3 in MO2’s executable menu and launch it from MO2 so the enabled mods are available to the game.

Use the mod list to enable or disable installed mods. Disabling a mod in MO2 does not remove files you previously installed manually; remove those copies yourself when switching to MO2.

To check a problem, confirm PDML is installed and the complete mod folder is available under PAYDAY3/Mods/, then try the affected mod with only its required dependencies. Check its ModWorkshop page for updates and installation notes.

For more on MO2 setup, see ModWorkshop’s Installation and Setup. For direct file installation, see Manual Installation.