Payday 2
Payday 2

Crime.net Explained — Payday 2 Guide

Navigate Payday 2's Crime.net map with ease. Understand heist selection, contract filtering, and crew management to plan your next successful score.

·Multi-source verified (66/66)

Crime.net Explained

Welcome to Crime.net, the beating heart of your criminal enterprise in Payday 2! This dynamic interface is where you'll find and select all available heists, manage your crew, and prepare for your next score. Understanding how to navigate and utilize Crime.net effectively is crucial for both new and veteran heisters.

Navigating the Crime.net Map

Upon entering Crime.net, you'll be greeted by a sprawling map of various locations, each representing a potential heist. These heists appear as glowing icons, often accompanied by brief descriptions and key details. The map is constantly updating, with new jobs appearing and older ones expiring, so keep a keen eye out for lucrative opportunities.

  • Heist Icons: Each icon represents a specific job. Hovering over an icon will display its name (e.g., "Watchdogs," "Rats," "Framing Frame"), the difficulty, and the potential payout.
  • Difficulty Levels: Heists are color-coded to indicate their difficulty:
    • Normal: Green icons, ideal for new players or farming quick cash.
    • Hard: Yellow icons, a step up in challenge and reward.
    • Very Hard: Orange icons, requiring more coordination and better gear.
    • OVERKILL: Red icons, for experienced crews seeking maximum challenge and payout. This is where you'll find the "Completely OVERKILL" achievement opportunities.
    • Death Wish/One Down: Purple/Black icons (depending on DLC), the ultimate test of skill and teamwork, offering the highest rewards.
  • Pro Jobs: Some heists will be marked as "Pro Jobs." These offer significantly higher payouts and experience but come with a crucial caveat: if you fail a Pro Job, it disappears from Crime.net, and you cannot attempt it again until it reappears randomly. Choose your Pro Jobs wisely!

Joining and Hosting Heists

Crime.net offers two primary ways to engage with heists: joining an existing lobby or hosting your own.

Joining a Public Game

To join a game, simply click on an available heist icon. This will display a list of active lobbies for that particular job. You'll see information such as:

  • Host's Name: Who is leading the heist.
  • Number of Players: How many heisters are currently in the lobby.
  • Difficulty: The chosen difficulty for that specific lobby.
  • Ping: An indicator of your connection quality to the host. Aim for lower ping for a smoother experience.

Select a lobby and click "Join Game" to enter. Be prepared to adapt to the host's strategy and loadout.

Hosting Your Own Game

To host a game, click on a desired heist icon and then select "Host Game." This will take you to the lobby screen where you can:

  • Set Difficulty: Choose the challenge level for your heist. Remember that higher difficulties yield greater rewards but demand more from your crew.
  • Set Privacy: Decide if your game is "Public" (anyone can join), "Friends Only" (only Steam friends can join), or "Private" (only invited You can join).
  • Invite Friends: Use the in-game invite system to bring your trusted crew members into the lobby.
  • Prepare for the Heist: This is your staging area. Ensure you have the right weapons, skills, and deployables equipped for the job. For example, on "Rats" Day 1 or "Cook Off," having a crew member with the "F in Chemistry" achievement in mind (and the skills to match) can be beneficial for maximizing loot or even blowing up the lab for a quick fail if that's your goal.

Crime.net Offline

For those who prefer a solo experience or want to practice without the pressure of other players, Crime.net offers an "Offline" mode. In this mode, you'll still select heists from the map, but you'll be accompanied by AI teammates. While the AI can be helpful, they lack the strategic depth of human players, making higher difficulties significantly more challenging. This mode is excellent for learning map layouts, practicing specific mechanics, or grinding experience without relying on a full crew.

Key Strategies for Crime.net Success

  • Prioritize Learning: Don't jump straight into OVERKILL. Start with Normal or Hard difficulties to learn the objectives, enemy spawns, and escape routes for each heist. For example, on "Watchdogs" Day 1, understanding how to protect the escape vehicle is crucial for the "Coming in Hot" achievement.
  • Matchmaking Matters: When joining public games, pay attention to the host's level and the composition of the existing crew. A balanced team with diverse skills (e.g., a Mastermind for crowd control, an Enforcer for heavy lifting, a Ghost for stealth, a Technician for drilling) will have a much higher chance of success.
  • Daily Heists: Keep an eye out for daily heists, often marked with a special icon. These frequently offer bonus experience or cash, making them excellent targets for progression.
  • Crime Spree: Once unlocked, Crime Spree offers a continuous chain of heists with escalating difficulty and rewards. This is a fantastic way to earn large amounts of cash and experience, but a single failure ends your spree.