Payday-Style High-Stakes Heists Are Back in Den of Wolves

San Francisco, CA – At this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), attendees were granted an exclusive hands-on preview of Den of Wolves, the highly anticipated four-player co-op extraction shooter. Developed by 10 Chambers, the acclaimed studio behind GTFO, and spearheaded by the creative minds responsible for Payday 1 and 2, this upcoming title marks a return to the heist game genre, albeit with a more strategic and mentally engaging approach to in-game challenges and environments.

The game unfolds in the near future within Midway City, a sprawling, corporate-dominated metropolis situated on a Pacific island. Players embody professional criminals contracted to infiltrate various establishments, aiming to pilfer funds, valuable loot, and crucial intelligence. While drawing thematic parallels to the Payday series, Den of Wolves distinguishes itself by placing a heightened emphasis on futuristic technology and sci-fi concepts.

The preview session was structured into three distinct phases, commencing with a preparatory mission. These abbreviated incursions, lasting approximately 15 minutes, in Den of Wolves, concentrate on resource acquisition and tool procurement to enhance readiness for more extensive heists. The demonstration featured a four-person team, pairing a journalist with another media representative alongside two members from the development team. The initial objective involved a clandestine infiltration of a high-security sector within a building, with the aim of accessing a vault and securing designated objectives.

The initial approach prioritized stealth, employing crouching movement and melee weaponry to neutralize patrolling adversaries discreetly. A significant technological focus permeates the world and its design within the near-future setting of Den of Wolves. This was particularly evident with security patrols incorporating survey units that deployed tentacle-like perimeter sensors from their helmets. Contact with these sensors would trigger enemy alerts, adding a layer of complexity to the infiltration.

Despite initial success in evading detection, an accidental encounter shifted the operation from stealth to direct engagement. This transition provided an opportunity to utilize pre-mission gadgets. Deployable turrets proved effective in providing covering fire, particularly when facing threats from multiple directions. A deployable shield offered crucial protection against incoming projectiles. Strategic coordination of tools and firearms proved essential while breaching the vault and repelling subsequent enemy waves.

Upon securing the objectives from the initial mission, the preview transitioned to its second phase, moving to a physical tabletop setting. In an engaging interactive interlude, a developer presented a blueprint detailing the subsequent mission. This involved infiltrating eight separate vaults to locate two keycards necessary to unlock a main vault, alongside creating an escape route via a strategically placed window breach. While not a feature of the final game release, this hands-on planning element offered a unique and memorable addition to the typical game preview format.

Exploring Heists in Den of Wolves: The Main Operation

The central component of the preview centered on the primary mission – a real-time heist estimated to last between 30 to 60 minutes, contingent on player proficiency and desired loot acquisition. The operation commenced with the team delivering a briefcase, surreptitiously loaded with assassination bots, to unsuspecting adversaries. Upon activation, chaos erupted, signaling the commencement of a clockwise sweep of the expansive three-story environment, a strategy formulated during the blueprint planning phase.

The team divided into two pairs, each tasked with breaching separate vaults in a synchronized approach. Teams alternated between drilling and providing defensive support, responding to security threats and drill malfunctions as needed. After an extensive search, the requisite keycards were located, granting access to the main vault and unveiling Den of Wolves’ distinctive gameplay mechanic: ‘Dives’. Within the vault, the CEO’s suspended form was discovered, their consciousness linked to the internet. This presented the opportunity to initiate an Inception-esque ‘dive’ into their mind to extract vital information for the player’s employer.

In terms of gameplay, this translated to repelling waves of enemies and navigating the environment to activate specific tools. Initiating the ‘dive’ transported players to a more pronounced sci-fi realm, introducing a brief platforming segment through a gravity-distorted cyberspace environment. This involved traversing walls, ceilings, and expansive gaps under time constraints. Mission success was contingent on at least one team member completing the sequence.

Successful completion of the ‘dive’ returned players to the ongoing firefight. The concluding objective involved confronting the stage boss and maximizing loot collection within the remaining timeframe. Periodically, characters would be re-immersed into cyberspace for subsequent platforming challenges at roughly five to ten-minute intervals. This dynamic blend of intense firefights punctuated by timed parkour sequences offered a unique and engaging experience. Ultimately, the team executed an escape via a window breach as pressure mounted, securing 24 out of 25 obtainable items – a noteworthy accomplishment for a first playthrough.

Den of Wolves made a compelling initial impression, sparking interest even in exploring GTFO, the studio’s notoriously challenging prior title. Developers indicated their new project is designed to be more accessible to a broader player base. While a specific release date remains unconfirmed, 10 Chambers intends to launch Den of Wolves in early access on Steam later this year.