John Wick Payday 2

Payday 2 heisters are well-aware that the first-person shooter/theft game likes to make references to other video game and film properties fairly often. Just a month ago, the marketing campaign for the game's Gage Assault Pack adopted the trademark Battlefield aesthetic as a nod to the fellow Swedish game developer. This week, the latest DLC goes a step further and actually includes a Keanu Reeves character as a playable heister in the game.

Lionsgate and Thunder Road Pictures are teaming up with Starbreeze Studios and 505 Games to build hype for both Payday 2 and the upcoming action film, John Wick. A new free-to-play DLC pack for Payday 2 will incorporate elements and content from the upcoming Keanu Reeves film, including a playable version of the titular character.

For gamers out there who haven't seen the trailers, John Wick is an action flick about a hitman (Reeves) coming out of retirement to get revenge on the gangsters who ruined his life. Sounds a bit trite, but the early reviews are actually very positive. Here's a breakdown of what the crossover DLC offers Payday 2 players:

  • John Wick, a new playable character in PAYDAY 2
  • A new perk system called Hitman, which includes features such as Akimbo, the ability to dual wield weapons, a favorite of John Wick himself
  • A new pistol with accompanying weapon modifications and a new knife melee weapon
  • Three cool-looking sunglasses to customize and wear

John Wick Film

The crossover may sound a bit gimmicky at first, but the content being added to the game is the real deal. For a long time, Payday 2 players have only had four heisters to choose from: Dallas, new Hoxton, Chains, and Wolf. The addition of John Wick and next week's addition of old Hoxton offer players some long-requested new crooks. A female character will also be added to the game at a later point and bring the total up to seven criminals.

In addition to the latest character, the new Hitman perk system will also offer some interesting changes to the game. The ability to dual wield will be a new feature and could open up some new strategies for pulling off heists that require a lot of fast crowd control. We look forward to seeing how the game's hardcore fans utilize the new skill set.

If you still don't own Payday 2, a free copy can be acquired by purchasing tickets to John Wick via Fandango. Although the crossover marketing has put a sour taste in the mouths of some fans on the Payday 2 message boards, the new content seems like it will offer some great additions to the highly successful and addictive multiplayer game. The DLC pack will be available tomorrow and we'll find out how entertaining the crossover content is.

Are you annoyed by the crossover marketing or are you just excited to get some new, free content for Payday 2? Let us know in the comments.

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Payday 2's John Wick DLC releases on October 22 for Steam users.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.