Den of Wolves: A Unique Blend of Payday, Cyberpunk, and Heat That Reinvents Co-op Heist Gaming

It all started so perfectly planned. My team and I had carefully mapped out every detail of the heist in advance. We spent the days before the job doing our homework: scouting the bank designed with a futuristic flair, gathering the tools to smash through the windows for our grand escape, and prepping a swarm of lethal drones to break into the core under the disguise of a simple delivery. We thought we had everything covered, believing our plan was flawless. Yet, in classic heist fashion, something went astray.

Greed crept in, as it often does. We had already captured the main prize—a wealth of intel extracted from the mind of a tech-savvy CEO, stored in a high-tech cocoon of sorts. We hacked straight into his brain, swiped the critical data, and were poised for a quick exit. “Why not snag some extra loot from the bank vaults?” one of my teammates, a talented member of the 10 Chambers developer team, suggested. How could we resist?

Why not indeed? With an escape route involving a daring base jump from a skyscraper that mirrored Dubai’s grandeur, grabbing a few extra sacks of cash seemed like a harmless add-on. But as we positioned ourselves on the mezzanine, trouble hit. A sudden wave of security droids and mercenaries poured in, armed to the teeth and ready with shields. One of our team got pinned down in the lobby, another colleague from 10 Chambers was taken by surprise by a grenade explosion. Here I was, positioned at the back and ready to lead the escape, only to be taken down by some shooter wielding a DMR from across the hall. Game over. The heist had collapsed.

Despite the setback, this really is one hell of a heist game. I appreciate how things can fall apart unexpectedly. “I’ve never seen them spawn that fast before,” a developer remarked. “Just proves anything can happen!” That unpredictability is part of what sets Den of Wolves apart. Unlike in Payday and Payday 2, where you often start a heist with little more than winging it as an action plan, Den of Wolves demands thorough preparation. Imagine it’s like Ocean’s Eleven, with one person as a George Clooney-type mastermind and another rolling with it like a nonchalant Brad Pitt, while someone else takes a Matt Damon-like risk for the thrill.

Vividly bringing this to mind, 10 Chambers co-founder and narrative director Simon Viklund chimed in. “It’s more like the movie Heat,” he explained, reflecting on our experience. “You see the crew gear up with explosives and nab an ambulance in Heat. It’s all about the prep work.” And indeed, Den of Wolves relies heavily on this groundwork. Before confronting a narrative-driven heist, you have to tick boxes by completing smaller missions—gearing up, planning, stacking the odds in your favor.

To paint a picture, before diving into what sounds like a 40-minute main heist, we undertook a brief 10-minute preparation mission. Our squad stealthily entered a well-guarded building to ‘secure’ an assault drone, which then became a hidden ally by eliminating threats inside the vault. We entered the main area seamlessly—until, well, it all went wrong from there.

Viklund acknowledged, “It’s got more serious grit than the Oceans films. Plus, it gives more freedom in player choices. Depending on your strategy, you might choose a stealth, sniper, or full-on assault outfit.” Maybe that was my downfall. As a sharpshooter, I thrive with a battle rifle or DMR. Had I anticipated the late-game storm of armed troublemakers, perhaps an SMG or explosive arsenal would have suited me better. Hindsight is a sobering thing.

Den of Wolves expands the concept away from the usual Payday formula, broadening the stakes and emphasizing intent while allowing room for hiccups. Drawing on what was learned from their cooperative shooter, GTFO, the 10 Chambers team knows the value of high-stakes intensity. But, paradoxically, this game remains accessible and enjoyable—a testament to its balanced difficulty. This failed heist was all about our audacity and overreaching our luck.

What makes it all the more enticing is the game’s cyberpunk backdrop—sharp, engaging, and responsive. Weapons deliver that satisfying punch, from powerhouse pistols to the heft of lugging cash bags with genuine heft. Navigating through or shooting past energy shields is both smart and viscerally rewarding, making each encounter engaging.

And keep in mind, this is pre-pre-alpha stage gameplay! Yet the cycle of planning, prepping, infiltrating, looting, and escaping already feels robust and satisfying—just as Payday was a revelation back in its early days. The creators, including visionaries like Ulf Andersson, have been nurturing this sci-fi heist idea long before the first Payday days, and Den of Wolves stands as the evolution of a passion project nurtured over 15 years.

Overall, Den of Wolves is shaping up as a polished, engaging game that gets its priorities right. It looks set to fill the current void in player-driven co-op heist shooters. With a thoughtful approach to monetization and deep knowledge of the genre, Den of Wolves has all the potential to be the standout title players have awaited. Here’s hoping 10 Chambers can deliver on that promise when it hits Early Access soon, starting with PC.