Payday 2 may be in its eighth year, but the community has grown since the start of 2021. With the lack of new releases in the gaming community over the past year, people are looking for a different multiplayer experience. Gamers looking for a new game to play with their friends should see if they enjoy Payday 2.
The shooter is a refreshing break from the battle royale and RPG games that have taken over the community in the past couple of years. New and returning players will want to know the top Payday 2 builds in 2021 before jumping into online multiplayer, and this guide will cover seven of the most overpowered of them.
Updated on July 28, 2023, by Jake Fillery: Payday 2 remains an extremely popular game. Now that Payday 2 is on Steam and the Epic Games Store, players are putting their clown masks on and taking any gun that they see so they can create chaos and cash in Washington D.C. However, if players want to stop shouting for a medic bag, perhaps it’s time to look at Payday 2’s best builds. Builds are an essential part of Payday 2, and players will want to use the best skills, weapons, and perk decks if they are to come out on top and survive the Death Sentence difficulties in Payday 2. Players are constantly innovating new ideas and overpowered builds in Payday 2, so it’s time to look at the closest thing to an immortal heister to create the best Payday 2 Builds in 2023.
14 Stealth Extravaganza
Whilst most builds are dedicated to the art of doing things Loud and maximizing destruction, this build will ensure the best stealth build in Payday 2 so that players can maximize their efficiency when doing things quietly. Players will want the Locomotive 12G or The Judge Shotgun for this build, as their stopping power is immense. Players will be able to hold onto body bags for longer, as shooting an enemy or civilian from close range with these weapons will send them flying, so it’s best to aim correctly.
As for the attachments, players will want to use: Any Suppressor, 000 Buckshot, Concealment Boost, and a Compact Laser Module. Attachments aren’t essential, other than the Suppressor, otherwise shooting guards and civilians is impossible without getting detected. Players are aiming for the lowest Concealment possible.
The Hacker Perk Deck is the utmost essential Perk Deck for this build, as players will find themselves reliant on the Pocket ECMs. Pocket ECMs refresh over time, meaning if players are careful, they can use them to counter cameras and delay pagers with a limited window of time, whilst keeping their main ECMs safe for future and more desperate use. Pocket ECMs are great for tactical use.
These Skills will be needed for those going Stealth:
- Controller: forced friendship, confidence, Stockholm syndrome
- Shotgunner: underdog, shotgun cqb ace, shotgun impact, close by aced
- Tank: resilience, transporter (aced)
- Engineer: third law, eco sentry, jack of all trades (aced)
- Breacher: hardware expert, drill sawgeant (aced)
- Oppressor: steady grip
- Shinobi: Chameleon (Aced), Cleaner (Aced), Sixth Sense (Aced), ECM Overdrive (Aced), Nimble (Aced), ECM Specialist (Aced)
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Parkour (Aced), Inner Pockets (Aced)
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions (Aced), The Professional
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium
13 Leech Akimbo VD-12
Purchasing the McShay Weapon Pack 2 will grant players the VD-12, which is arguably the best gun in Payday 2. Thanks to its stopping power, high accuracy, and the ability to use autofire, the VD-12 is immensely powerful, especially when paired with Leech. Players will want to use Akimbo VD-12s with these attachments: 000 Buckshot, Long Barrel, The Silent Killer Suppressor, Stability Boost, Auto Fire, LED Combo, and Straight Grip. The 5/7 AP Pistol is recommended as the secondary, for concealment and the fact that it penetrates body armor, enemies, shields, and walls.
The best Perk Deck in Payday 2 is arguably Leech, which will almost essentially assure the support synergy of the team. When getting hit whilst using Leech, players will heal their teammates from the health that has been lost. Whilst in Leech mode, players only need to damage enemies to convert that damage back into health, almost assuring that they will have constant health in a tank-like state.
To maximize the efficiency of a Leech Akimbo VD-12 build, players should aim for these Skills:
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix (Aced), Combat Doctor (Aced), Inspire (Aced)
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime
- Shotgunner: Underdog, Shotgun Impact (Aced), Shotgun CQB (Aced), Far Away, Close By (Aced), Overkill
- Tank: Resilience (Aced), Shock And Awe, Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Parkour (Aced), Inner Pockets (Aced)
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusion (Aced), The Professional, Low Blow (Aced)
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium, Akimbo (Aced)
12 Hacker CR805 Akimbo
Added in The Biker Heist DLC, players could get their hands on the CR805, which players will want to use for this build in the Akimbo format. Players will want to focus on the low Concealment stat for the bonuses of this build and to do so, they will need the following attachments to make this gun a fearsome machine of death:
Short Barrel, Medved Suppressors, Concealment Boost, Compact Laser Module, Speed Pull Magazine. The comfort of this build comes from the high fire rate, easy reload, and the great damage output from the fact that it’s a submachine gun. Accuracy isn’t great, but players won’t need it with the right mobility and support.
The true hero of this Payday 2 OP build is the Hacker Perk Deck, as players will have constant access to Pocket ECMs that will disable enemies, causing them to stand still and remain stunned, leaving them vulnerable to damage. Killing enemies whilst the Pocket ECM is active will grant players health, meaning whilst they are staying mobile, they are getting a constant and steady stream of stunned enemies, health back, and kills.
The following Skills are essential for this build:
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners in Crime (Aced)
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger, Bulletstorm (Aced), Extra Lead (Aced)
- Oppressor: Steady Grip (Aced), Fire Control, Lock N’ Load, Surefire (Aced), Body Expertise (Aced)
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover (Aced), Inner Pockets, Dire Need, Shockproof (Aced), Sneaky Bastard
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions (Aced), The Professional (Aced), Low Blow
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium, Akimbo (Aced)
- Revenant: Nine Lives (Aced)
11 Rodion Wrecker
The Rodion 3B has been described in the Payday 2 community as a “point and clicks adventure”, considering just how overpowered the build can be when placed in the right build within the right hands. Players are going to want to purchase the McShay Weapon Pack 3 DLC if they want to get their hands on this Assault Rifle with selective firing, which will enable players to deal out accurate damage in either a single fire or burst mode that will conserve ammo and pack a punch.
The attachments players will want for the Rodion 3B are as follows: Federation Suppressor, Taktika Deluxe Charging Handle, Concleament Boost, Stealth Laser Module, AK Rubber Grip, Arkady Ammo Pouch, Siberian Speed Pull Magazine, Svidetel Iron Sights, Shoulder Pad.
The 5/7 AP Pistol is recommended for the secondary gun on this build, considering its sheer power to pierce the body armor of Maximum Force Responders and shields. As for the Perk Deck, players will want to use Copycat, as it will allow players to invest heavily in health or dodge cards, whilst simultaneously copying the other best Perk Decks in Payday 2.
As for the Skills, players will want to invest in the following:
- Medic: Combat Medic, Painkillers (Aced), Combat Doctor (Aced), Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident (Aced), Joker, Partners In Crime (Aced), Hostage Taker (Aced)
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot (Aced), Aggressive Reload
- Tank: Resilience (Aced), Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Fire Control, Surefire (Aced)
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Inner Pockets
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions (Aced), The Professional (Aced), Low Blow (Aced), High-Value Target (Aced), Unseen Strike
- Revenant: Nine Lives (Aced)
10 Anarchist Akimbo
One of the best and most enjoyable classes to use is an akimbo build with Anarchist for speed and concealment. Below are the following skill allocations for the class.
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger, Bulletstorm, Extra Lead, Fully Loaded
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Fire Control, SureFire, Lock and Load, Body Expertise
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Inner Pockets
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional, Optical Illusions, Low Blow
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium, Akimbo
- Revenant: Nine Lives
- Martial Arts: Brawler, Bloodthirst, Berserker
Each of these perks will be geared toward fast movement and accuracy at close range. Players can choose between running the concussion or Molotov. The Akimbo Krinkovs are recognized by many in the community as the best SMGs and should be used with this class. With a deadly combination of high damage, accuracy, and 60-round mags, these guns are scary good in all modes. Krinkovs have a better rate of fire and higher pickup percentage than any comparable weapons in the game.
There are a lot of options for attachments, but accuracy, stability, and reload time are the stats to focus on. The primary Akimbo guns should be equipped with a full auto mod. Finally, the class is complete with a pistol secondary and melee weapon.
9 M60 Anarchist
The M60 LMG may not be the most used weapon in the class, but it can be overpowered in heists. The gun will two-shot most enemies and has less recoil than the more popular KSP. Because of how controllable the M60 is at range, it is one of the better sniper killers in Payday 2. Below are the perks people will want to use to optimize the build.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix, Combat Doctor
- Shotgunner: Underdog
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Bullseye, Iron Man
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Fire Control, SureFire, Lock and Load, Body Expertise
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Parkour
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional
- Revenant: Nine Lives
- Martial Arts: Brawler, Bloodthirst, Berserker, Frenzy
Gamers will want to run the Improved Tactical vest with the M60 and their grenade launcher of choice. Concussion grenades and the switchblade are the final items players should use to create one of the best Payday 2 builds.
8 Kingpin Rocket Spammer
The rocket class is extremely addictive. It is one of the best position defense weapons and shines when players have high ground on opponents. Reloading can take some time, but an assault rifle will be the backup in chaotic situations. Players will want to use the following Skills.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix, Uppers
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime, Hostage Taker
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Shotgunner: Underdog
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Transporter Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger, Bulletstorm, Extra Lead, Fully Loaded
- Engineer: Third Law, Eco Sentry, Jack Of All Trades
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Lock N' Load, Surefire
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional
- Martial Arts: Brawler, Bloodthirst, Pumping Iron
- Revenant: Nine Lives
The weapons in the class will be geared to exploit blast damage and the skill trees above. Among assault rifles, the Union 5.56 is far and away the top option. It has an extremely high fire rate with very good damage values. With the right attachments, players can get to 100 accuracy and 100 stability. Reload speed and an ammo pickup rate of 9 make the Union the king of ARs in Payday 2.
As a secondary, gamers should choose the launcher of their choice. The build may seem cheap, but it is too overpowered to ignore. Players can use their rockets, then grenades, and the Union 5.56. If the tactic works properly, it is disgustingly broken in Payday 2.
7 Mindless Anarchist
Gamers that want to shut their brains off and fly through hordes of enemies will want to run this build. Akimbo Krinkovs paired with the infamous Grimm shotgun are the primary weapons players will want to use in the build. The Grimm requires little aim or accuracy; pressing the trigger is good enough. If Dragon's Breath rounds are equipped, every enemy on the screen will die from burn damage.
Players can spam the Grimm so fast that opponents will not be able to react. For a shotgun, the Grimm has terrible accuracy from the hip. However, bad accuracy increases the AOE of the Dragon's Breath rounds, allowing the gun to DPS more enemies at once. Use the following perks:
- Medic: Combat Medic, Painkillers, Combat Doctor, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime
- Shotgunner: Underdog, Shotgun CQB
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Bullseye
- Engineer: Third Law, Sentry Targeting Package, Engineering, Jack Of All Trades, Tower Defense
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions, Low Blow
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium, Akimbo
- Revenant: Nine Lives
With this setup, gamers will have four different AI at their disposal to help take down more enemies. If people need to fire a bullet, they will barely have to aim with the Grimm and dual Akimbo SMGs. This is one of the most mindless ways to play Payday 2, but it provides a nice break from the stress of complex builds.
6 Armorer LMG
Another effective Payday 2 build is the Armorer paired with the Buzzsaw 42 LMG. Payday 2 has been LMG/Shotgun dominant for years now, so one had to cut. The skills for the class are enumerated below.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix, Uppers, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Joker, Partners In Crime
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Transporter, Bullseye, Shock And Awe, Iron Man
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Lock N' Load, Surefire, Body Expertise
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Parkour
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional, High-Value Target, Unseen Strike
One of the most popular LMGs right now is the Buzzsaw 42. The weapon has a ridiculous fire rate and somehow has decent accuracy too. The main selling point of Buzzsaw is its unmatched DPS values. The gun does 80 damage per bullet with a fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute. No weapon in Payday 2 has a better damage output than the Buzzsaw MG 42.
After modifying the gun with their preferred attachments, players will want to use a rocket or pistol secondary and a Molotov to round out the build. Skilled Armorers are almost impossible to kill because they have extra health kits and are extremely efficient with ammunition.
5 Stoic KSP Build
One of the most fun classes to use in the game is a KSP Stoic deck built with the Controller and Silent Killer trees built out. The LMG grenade launcher combo is a jack of all trades that will perform well in almost any scenario. All of the important skills are listed below.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix, Uppers, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime, Hostage Taker
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Shotgunner: Underdog
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Shock And Awe, Iron Man
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Fire Control, Lock And Load
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover, Parkour
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional, High-Value Target, Unseen Strike
Gamers will want to have the bigger barrel, the foregrip, and the bipod equipped to maximize the effectiveness of the gun. The KSP is one of the simplest guns to control in the game and paired with a grenade launcher, the class will tear through hordes of enemies with little resistance.
Among LMGs, the KSP is a jack of all trades. It has a rate of fire over 900 and 80 damage per round. Ammo pickup is about 15 rounds when wielding the gun, and 100 rounds are more than enough ammo to dish out a ton of damage. With the above attachments, the KSP will have very high accuracy and stability for an LMG as well.
4 Akimbo Shotgun Hacker
Shotguns have been meta in Payday 2 for some time. Specifically, the Goliath 12-gauge shotguns have been among the best options for a few years. Unlike the Grimm shotgun, the Goliaths are extremely accurate weapons. They have more ammo and much better stability. Players will be able to concentrate fire better and deal more damage, but the Goliaths require skill to use. They may not be as easy to wield as the Grimm, but they are more effective when used correctly. Running these powerful guns akimbo as a hacker with the following skills is a foolproof way to dominate in Payday 2. Players will want the following skills:
- Medic: Combat Medic, Quick Fix, Uppers, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners In Crime, Hostage Taker
- Shotgunner: Underdog, Shotgun CQB, Shotgun Impact, Close By, Overkill
- Tank: Resilience, Die Hard, Bullseye, Shock And Awe
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Artful Dodger: Duck And Cover
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions, Low Blow
- Gunslinger: Akimbo
- Revenant: Nine Lives
The key attachments for this 2021 build include the short barrel, shark teeth nozzle, and concealment mod. Any type of pistol will work as a secondary, but the Magnum is probably the best medium to long-range option in the class. The Magnum will complement the close-range akimbo shotguns and gamers will be unstoppable at all ranges. The Hacker skills will give players +20 health for every kill, rewarding aggressive tactics. Hackers can continuously push enemies without dying.
3 Kingpin Striker
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Kingpin is one of the most powerful skill trees in Payday 2. In the hardest mode, gamers will need the best perks. Kingpins are useful for their ability to absorb damage and aggro enemies away from teammates. To get those one taps on enemies, gamers can use the R93 Sniper. Any 100+ damage SMG will work well with the R93, but the Tatonka was chosen for this build. The small SMG has a huge 64-round magazine and reloads extremely fast when in single-fire mode.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Painkillers, Quick Fix, Uppers, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Confident, Joker, Partners in Crime, Hostage Taker
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot, Ammo Efficiency, Aggressive Reload, Graze
- Tank: Resilience, Transporter, Die Hard, Bullseye
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip
- Shinobi: Chameleon
- Artful Dodger: Duck and Cover
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional
- Revenant: Nine Lives
2 Resilient Armorer
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The Armorer skill tree has some incredible perks. The most notable is two-second invulnerability after armor breaks. This will give people plenty of time to find cover and regroup before rejoining the fight. Any 100+ damage rifle will work, but the Gewehr 3 seems to fit the mold best. The key here is 100 damage, but a 45-round mag, good fire rate, and quick reload don't hurt either. Pair the rifle with a fast-firing weapon like the CR805B for a deadly combo of DPS.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Painkillers, Combat Doctor, Inspire
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Tank: Resilience, Bullseye, Shock and Awe, Iron Man
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Breacher: Hardware Expert
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Surefire, Lock N' Load, Body Expertise
- Shinobi: Chameleon
- Artful Dodger: Duck and Cover, Parkour
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, Optical Illusions, The Professional, High-Value Target
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium
- Revenant: Nine Lives
- Brawler: Martial Arts, Bloodthirst, Berserker
1 Coup d'état
Gamers will want to use a dual pistol setup with their Anarchist build. Equip the suit for the two-second regen and invulnerability while using the class. This Anarchist build will feature the automatic 18c Akimbo pistols. Each pistol inflicts 50+ damage per shot, which multiplied by a 909 rpm fire rate equals a ton of DPS. Unlike similar weapons, the 18cs have a high pickup and large magazine. As a backup, the AP Pistol provides armor-piercing utility.
- Medic: Combat Medic, Painkillers, Quick Fix, Uppers, Inspire
- Controller: Forced Friendship, Joker, Partners in Crime
- Sharpshooter: Stable Shot
- Ammo Specialist: Scavenger
- Oppressor: Steady Grip, Surefire
- Artful Dodger: Duck and Cover
- Silent Killer: Second Wind, The Professional, Optical Illusions, Unseen Strike, Low Blow
- Gunslinger: Equilibrium, Akimbo, One-Handed Talent, Trigger Happy
- Revenant: Nine Lives
- Brawler: Martial Arts, Bloodthirst, Pumping Iron, Berserker, Frenzy