Like in the previous game, you’re able to take hostages inPayday 3. It works much the same way, but there are brand-new mechanics that can help you stave off police assaults to buy more time to pocket your ill-gotten goods and escape without much issues.

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you may trade hostages and even use them as human shields, but if they die, there are repercussions. You should keep an eye on them and think very well with your team what you’re going to do before committing avoidable mistakes. Here’s everything you need to know about kidnapping poor, innocent civilians to steal wads of cash.

How To Tie Up Hostages

Any civilian can be taken hostage,but you can’t take police officers or security guards.

First, you have toget them on the ground,which you can do bypointing a gun at them and yelling.On PC, you do this by pressing themiddle mouse button.On console,press up on the D-pad.

Payday 3 hostage crouched on the ground with two prompts, “Take human shield” or “Tie up hands”

Firing a gun will scare them, but this will alert everybody outside and trigger alarms.

Once they’re on the ground, you’ll seetwo promptswith corresponding buttons. On PC,hold ‘F’ to “Tie up hands”.On console,hold ‘X’ or the square button.

Payday 3 holding a hostage as a human shield while looking at a police car outside the window of the bank

What Are Hostages Used For?

You need to take hostages sothey don’t escape and alert the authorities.This is how it worked inPayday 2, but there’s more to it now.

Hostages can be usedas human shields.Simply tie them up (or scare them) and thentap the X/square button on console, or F on PC.

Payday 3 pointing a gun at a hostage in the tutorial

Security and police are less likely to shoot at yousince they want to keep the hostages alive. However,onhigher-tier assaults, they will throw caution to the wind and attack on sight.

you may alsotrade hostages with the authorities.To do this, you need totie them upand thenhold the X/square button on console, or F on PC.

Payday 3 rewards with “1 Civilian Killed” highlighted in red.

This willbuy you more time before an assaultand can evenearn you resourcessuch as med packs and ammo packs.

After a certain number of hostages are traded, the timer will stop going up. Save the remaining for later so you can get supplies.

you’re able to alsotake the manager as a human shieldandforce them to open locked doors.

Offices require bio scanners, meaning youneedthe manager alive to open them. This is how youdisablelockdowns and alarms.To get into these rooms, simplythrow the manager at the bio scannerand they will interact with it.

you’re able to alsomake hostages follow youto get them out of sight.

What Happens If You Kill A Hostage?

Not every heist will go smoothly. Sometimes, a civilian might get caught in the crossfire, or you might get a little trigger-happy and kill someone for making too much noise. This can cause a couple of problems, so it’s best avoided.

For one,killing a hostage instantly triggers an assault.The timer will shoot down to zero, even if you bought time by trading other civilians.

Fend off the cops and make it through the wave unscathed and you still have a problem -each civilian casualty loses you $29,300,which adds up if you go around senselessly killing people.