Den of Wolves: A Unique Blend of Payday, Cyberpunk, and Heat That Reinforces the Excitement of Co-op Heist Games

We thought we had it all figured out. My team and I went over every detail for days, planning our heist with the precision of a Swiss watch. We had our eyes on a high-tech bank, scoped out the place, gathered all we needed to make our daring escape, and even readied lethal drones for our grand entrance under the guise of delivery guys. Everything seemed perfect. But, as is often the case with heists, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Greed got the better of us. We had our primary target secured—data locked in the brain of a technocrat CEO, who was in some futuristic cocoon. We hacked into his mind, grabbed the intel, and were all set to make our exit. Then a teammate, a member of the 10 Chambers dev team, asked a dangerous question: “Why not grab the loot from the other vaults too?”

Our escape route was already planned—a thrilling base jump from the upper floors of a skyscraper straight out of Dubai’s skyline. What harm could a few extra bags of cash do, right? But as we moved into the mezzanine, chaos ensued. Security droids and hired thugs stormed in with an arsenal of firearms and impenetrable shields. One of our crew got cornered in the lobby’s crossfire. Another team member was caught off guard by a grenade. Meanwhile, I was positioned at the back, ready for extraction, when a sniper across the hall hit me. Just like that, our meticulous plan crumbled.

This game definitely nails the heist experience. The unpredictability is a highlight. As one developer said, “I’ve never seen that many guys spawn so quickly. It just proves anything can happen!” That sums up the charm of Den of Wolves compared to other heist games. In Payday and Payday 2, you sort of wing it; one person sneaks to the vault, another charges in guns blazing, and someone else might be spinning in circles. Not here.

Den of Wolves insists on preparation. It’s like starring in Ocean’s 11. There’s someone who steps up as the George Clooney, meticulously organizing everything, another embodies Brad Pitt’s carefree attitude, and someone else channels Matt Damon’s risky yet eager spirit.

Reflecting on our mission, 10 Chambers co-founder and narrative director Simon Viklund compared it to the movie Heat. He pointed out how in Heat, the crew meticulously preps, gathering explosives, stealing an ambulance, and making sure every detail ensures a smooth heist. This is the game’s blueprint—careful planning and execution.

Take, for instance, the prep missions: We tackled a short one before the main heist, sneaking into a secured building to ‘borrow’ an assault drone. We hid it in a package and unleashed it inside the vault, clearing our path with ease. The advanced preparation paid off—in short, the prep mission ensured we entered our target area smoothly.

“It’s more hardcore than Ocean’s films,” Viklund joked, highlighting the game’s depth and player choices. The way you approach a mission determines which build you bring—be it stealth, sniper, or assault. Knowing what lurked ahead, perhaps an SMG or some incendiaries would have served me better than my trusty DMR.

Den of Wolves expands on the Payday formula with greater stakes and intentionality, drawing on lessons from developing the intense co-op shooter GTFO. Yet, it remains approachable—our downfall was simply succumbing to greed. This cyberpunk game’s tight mechanics and responsive controls, where every weapon packs a punch, feel incredibly satisfying.

And don’t forget—this is still pre-pre-alpha. The game impresses from the get-go, offering a robust formula: plan, prep, infiltrate, rob, and repeat. The more diverse your weapons or strategies, the richer the experience becomes. It builds upon the foundation established by Payday and pushes it further. As the creators told me, the seed for a sci-fi heist game has been in the works for over 15 years, and Den of Wolves is the culmination of that vision.

So far, it’s living up to its promise: polished, engaging, and, most importantly, fun. Den of Wolves aims to resonate in the co-op heist genre, and with the strategic use of resources and deep understanding of the genre, it seems poised to lead the charge. Fingers crossed, they stick the landing.

Den of Wolves is set to make its debut in Early Access soon. It will be available on PC at launch, though a specific date hasn’t been announced yet.