Very Useful PAYDAY 2 Mods

PAYDAY 2★ 5 · 288 ratings17k views628 favorites19 min readby green gaming goombaUpdated Jun 11View on Steam ↗

Introduction

This guide is meant as an introduction into modding. It contains everything you'll need to get started and also contains a lot of mods that will improve your experience with the game.

Before this guide starts I want to get a couple of things out of the way

1. Please report issues such as crashes to the developers of the mods. I know how to mod this game but I am in no way a mod developer so unless it's an issue like a conflict, I can't really help you. To find your crashlog on windows, go to your search bar and type %localappdata%, click on the folder that appears and find the "PAYDAY 2" folder. Inside this folder will be a text file named "crash.txt". This is your latest crash log.

2. If a mod truly does become broken then please comment about this and I will see for myself. If it's broken, I'll update the guide.

3. You don't need to install everything in this guide. A lot of things in modding come down to preference especially when it comes to things like HUDs (and installing everything in the HUDs section will cause issues but I think that would be obvious) and visuals so just take a look around to see if you find anything you like. There might some be some really good mods that aren't mentioned in here. If you feel there is something I should add, leave a suggestion in the comments and I'll consider adding it.

4. I did not make any of these mods. Full credits go to the mod creators and their amazing contributions to the game. I just wanted to make a compilation which could help out people new to modding or new to the game in general. Seriously a lot of the mods in here are life savers and the work they have put into this game is incredible.

With that out of the way, lets get started.

Essential tools to begin modding your game

Before you can start modding, you will need SuperBLT. This is a DLL hook that allows the game to load BLT mods. It is required for a majority of mods (in general and in this guide). You can find this here: https://superblt.znix.xyz/

Click on the Latest Release DLL link and download the file. Place the DLL in your payday 2 folder (to access this, go to your steam library, right click Payday 2, go to local files and click browse local files).


Open the game and it will start downloading the required files for SuperBLT to function as well as creating the mods folder. Once this is done, SuperBLT is fully functional.

Another essential mod is BeardLib. This adds a lot of new functions to the game which other mods require to work properly. This is needed for a lot of mods in here.

https://modworkshop.net/mod/14924 Download the mod from here and place the folder inside the zip file into your mods folder.

Some mods need to be installed in the mod_overrides folder, mainly texture replacements and custom music. This folder may not exist and it will need to be created manually. To do this, go to the Payday 2 game folder and then the assets folder. Make a folder EXACTLY named "mod_overrides" (remove the quotes). If the folder is already there, that's fine.

Be aware that some mod_overrides mods may need SuperBLT and BeardLib.

Another important folder is the "Maps" folder which goes into the main Payday 2 folder. This is where you install custom heists. If this folder doesn't exist, make it with the exact name of "Maps" (once again without quotes).

Another useful mod I recommend is Simple Mod Updater. This is used to keep TdlQ mods (pretty much any mods from here https://pd2mods.z77.fr/) up to date. https://pd2mods.z77.fr/simple_mod_updater.html Install to mods

The last mod I want to mention here is HopLib. This adds some functions that are required for some mods (mainly those made by Hoppip). Required for a mod mentioned later. https://modworkshop.net/mod/21431 Install this to the mods folder.

Fixes and Performance

  • The Fixes

    This mod fixes a lot of issues in Payday such as crashes, softlocks and other various issues. It also has an options menu where you can change some of the fixes which you might not want.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/23732 The Fixes Install to mods

  • Celer

    This mod uses portals (derenders models if the player isn't within a certain area) and occluders (derenders things behind an occluder plane) to boost framerates with minimal visual quality degradation.

    https://pd2mods.z77.fr/celer.html Celer Install to mods

  • Anticrash

    This mod does exactly what the name suggests, fixes a lot of crashes including ones that can be caused by players with griefing mods.

    https://pd2mods.z77.fr/anticrash.html Install to the mods folder.

  • Anti Slow Mo

    Prevents players from making your game slow down with griefing mods

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/22560 Install to mods

  • Sensitivity Fixer

    Changes the games sensitivity values to use 0 to 1 instead of 0.7 to 1.7 allowing for a lower sensitivity

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/12823 Install to mods

  • Auto Fire Sound Fix

    Simple mod that fixes a bug which can cause weapon sounds to play twice if auto firing. Also works with custom weapon sounds.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/20403 Install to mods folder

  • Clear Texture Cache

    Clears the texture cache every time you start a heist which can help with memory use.

    https://pd2mods.z77.fr/clear_texture_cache.html Install to mods

  • Refresh Rate Checker

    Lets you change the refresh rate in the options

    https://pd2mods.z77.fr/refresh_rate_checker.html Install to mods

  • DX11 Shaders Fix

    Upgrades shaders to DX11 which has improvements to performance and stability. If your GPU doesn't support DX11 the game will crash but this is unlikely unless it's incredibly old.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/14938 Install to mods

  • Load Steam Inventory Once

    Makes the steam inventory only load when you start the game or open the steam inventory to prevent the menus lagging

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/24008 Install the mods

  • No Down

    This is a difficulty mod but it also has scripts which improves the performance of CRIME.NET, making it lag less when browsing for games

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/32586 Install to mods

  • Clientsided Uppers

    Clientsided Uppers makes first aid kits with uppers clientsided. This is because they can occasionally not work due to lag.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/29645 Install to mods

  • Stop Lobby Lag

    Fixes lag when people edit their inventory in the lobby

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/47435 Install to mods

  • Less Aliasing

    Adjusts a contrast value to make anti aliasing more efficient.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/37442 Install to mods

  • Check For Wallbangs

    Implements checks to stop you getting shot through walls.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/47414 Install to mods

Quality of Life Improvements

HUDs

  • VanillaHUD Plus

    Extremely configurable HUD which also has a lot of Quality of Life features inside the game and also in the menus. Can be configured to work with other HUDs and features compatibility settings on the page. VanillaHUD Plus is based on WolfHUD and it carries over a lot of features. Highly recommend installing even if you don't want to use it as a HUD.



    https://modworkshop.net/mod/25629 Install to mods

  • Better Assault Indicator

    Makes the assault indicator customizable and adds some more information to it. Can be customised to work with other HUDS.

    Example of BAI with VanillaHUD Plus

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/22712 Install to mods

  • MUI

    Extremely customizable minimalistic HUD, one of my personal favourites

    MUI with the default config

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/46681 Install to mods

    Also using the this health bar in screenshot ( https://modworkshop.net/mod/16451 mod_overrides)

  • Void UI

    Aesthetic first HUD with some really nice features, such as a scoreboard which can show yours and your teammates kills. Very customizable, with most of the features tolerable.


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/20997 Install to mods

  • PDTH HUD

    Makes the HUD look like Payday: The Heist's HUD


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/19900 Install to mods

  • Hotline Miami Hud

    Makes the HUD more colorful, giving a similar look and feel to Hotline Miami. Also, it has a built-in combo counter which goes up when you kill cops. It also includes a custom font.


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/27294 Install to mods

  • PocoHUD

    Information oriented HUD which is highly customizable. Also includes useful features like the ability to change music mid game. Works with most huds out of the box.

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/40870
    Install to mods

  • HoloUI

    Highly customizable HUD which also has some changes to the menus


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/12501 Install to mods

  • Sora's Hud Reborn

    Aesthetic HUD with some useful features such as a stamina bar


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/22152 Install to mods

  • HopHUD

    Small HUD mod that adds some new features such as a kill counter, an anarchist 2 second indicator, a coloured health circle for teammates and a new menu panel. Good if you want something that looks mostly vanilla.


  • Restoration HUD

    Gives the HUD and menus a similar look to early versions of Payday 2


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/28118 Install to mods

  • Better Teammate Panel

    Makes the teammate panel show your steam profile picture or heister avatar instead of the health circle


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/27200 Install to mods

  • CringeHUD

    APPARENTLY this mod can boost your frames. I've never tested this myself but it's worth a look to see if it does help (and if it's worth the sanity loss).


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/28919 Install to mod_overrides (there stalin I mentioned it)

    It is possible to mix HUDs but it can take a bit of tinkering with settings to make everything work correctly. One of my personal favourite combos is PocoHUD + MUI. Can look nice while being informative

  • No Corners

    Removes the corners from the HUD


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/16077 Install to mod_overrides

  • Crosshairs:

    There are a lot of mods out there that add crosshairs so I'll mention some here

  • Dynamic Crosshairs Enahnced: Adds a crosshair similar to PDTH that can be customized


    https://modworkshop.net/mod/26842 Install to mods

  • Customizable Crosshair: Adds a small crosshair than you can customize to your liking

    https://modworkshop.net/mod/20820 Install to mods

  • Advanced Crosshairs, Hitmarkers, and Hitsounds (ACH): Allows you to add custom crosshairs to the game such as crosshairs from other games and also lets you add custom hitmarkers and hitsounds.

    There are lots of custom crosshairs out there available for use, my personal favourites being the GTA V crosshairs which I will link here.

    I also recommend Color Picker which lets you change the colours of some things in ACH such as the crosshairs and hitmarkers.

    ACH: https://modworkshop.net/mod/29585 Install to mods
    Color Picker: https://modworkshop.net/mod/29641 Install to mods
    GTA V Crosshairs: https://modworkshop.net/mod/29865 Installation instructions on page

  • Armor Break Invulnerability Signals: Adds an effect when your Anarchist 2 seconds is active on your hud and screen
    https://modworkshop.net/mod/43016 Install to mods

  • Hacker PCM Effect: Adds an effect when your Hacker pocket ECM is active
    https://modworkshop.net/mod/32646 Install to mods

Audio & Visual

Misc

  • DXVK

    DXVK is a DLL wrapper that translates DirectX into Vulkan. This can provide huge performance boosts as Vulkan can take advantage of modern hardware much better than DX9 can. DXVK can work very well on a lot of games and Payday is no different.

    To install DXVK on payday:

    1. Download the latest DXVK release from here:
    https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk

    2. You will need a program like 7-Zip or Winrar to open the file. Open the download and navigate to the x32 folder.

    3. In here you will see some DLL files


    For Payday, you will want d3d9.dll as the game uses DX9. Take this DLL and drop it into the Payday 2 game folder. After that, you're done and can start playing.

    NOTE: DXVK could reduce the stability of your game. I personally had some crashes with it in the past, but it is very stable nowadays.

    NOTE 2: DVXK may cause a double cursor effect if you open your steam overlay. It seems to happen fairly at random, I'd personally recommend just using the borderless mod in this guide and alt-tabbing out for steam related things.

  • Reshade

    Reshade is a generic post-processing injector allowing you to add a lot of new effects to your game to improve the graphics quality. Installation of Reshade is incredibly simple, using an installer that does most of the work for you.

    1. Download the latest release of Reshade from here https://reshade.me/

    2. Open the installer and click on the button that appears. Find Payday 2 in the list that pops up. Select DirectX9 or Vulkan if you're using DXVK. Go through the installer and select the effects you want. If you want to install all the effects, you can click uncheck all and then check all. This will automatically install everything.

    3. Once this is done, Reshade is fully installed. Open Payday and press the home key on your keyboard to open the Reshade overlay. This is where you can play around with the settings. I recommend just messing it around with it and seeing what you can do. If you don't want to, there are ready made presets online you can use.

    NOTE: Reshade can have a fairly large impact on performance depending on the amount of effects you use.

Important Changes (skip this tbh)

24/01/2022 - Started actually logging changes
Removed "No Weapon Verification" as the issue has been fixed by the developers
Added compatibility note to "Armor Break Invulnerability Indicator"
Added "Automatically Equip ICTV Armor"
01/02/2022 - Removed "4GB Patch"
05/02/2022 - Added "Weapons attachments customizer"
12/02/2022 - Added "Refresh Rate Checker"
14/02/2022 - Added "Original Bipods"
15/02/2022 - Added "Super Duper Skin Swapper"
27/02/2022 - Fixed invalid link
09/03/2022 - Replaced "Subtle Weapon Improvements" with "Weapon Texture Reworks"
Added small note to "Clear Texture Cache"
01/06/2022 - Added "Stop Wasting Updates"
13/06/2022 - Removed "Anti Player State" as the mod is no longer available
Added "Visual Fixes" and "Re-Texture Project"
14/06/2022 - Removed "Anti Intimidated Outlines" as it's no longer available
21/06/2022 - Removed "Graze doesn't kill civils" as it's not longer needed since overkill patched it themselves.
Removed a step from the DXVK section as it's no longer needed.
Edited the Reshade section as new updates have changed how it works with Vulkan.
Removed a couple of images as Steam decided to be a ♥♥♥♥ and get rid of them and honestly they weren't that important anyway so whatever.
22/06/2022 - Fixed some invalid links
12/12/2022 - Removed "No More Shiny Hellscapes" as it isn't needed anymore
Removed "Shotgun Reload Fix" as it's no longer available
Removed "Speedpull Model Fix for AR Magazine" as it's no longer available
Removed "HUD Firemod Fix" as it broke in a recent update
Added "HD NPC Weapon Model Replacement"
21/12/2022 - Removed "Inverted Flashbang Glare" as it's now a vanilla feature
03/03/2023 - Added "Bandwith Saver"
07/05/2023 - Added "Player Stats Panel Enhancements"
Edited the introduction cause it was really ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ pretentious
Changed some wording to make things more descriptive
18/07/2023 - Removed the note from "Clear Texture Cache" as the issue should be fixed now
Added "Scarface The World Is Yours Voicepack"
Removed the note about the steam overlay from DXVK as it has been fixed and the steam overlay works fine now.
Added a note to Reshade
Fixed an issue with a link in the HUD section. Whoops.
08/10/2023 - Removed Map Based Optimisations as it's no longer available
22/10/2023 - Removed or changed a lot of mods that have issues or no longer work
Re-added the note to DXVK as the double cursor still sometimes happens with the steam overlay.
7/05/2024 - Added "Stop Lobby Lag"
6/10/2024 - Replaced "CustomFOV" as the version in the guide was deleted
28/10/2024 - Removed "Green Bridge Rain Drops Fix" as it is included in "Visual Fixes"
02/11/2024 - Added "Less Aliasing"
09/11/2024 - Added "Lobby Settings"
Added "Check For Wallbangs"
Replaced "Repeater Sight Tweak" with an updated version.
27/11/2024 - Removed the 2 armour break mods as they're not longer available and added replacement
08/02/2025 - Replaced "CustomFOV" with "Perfect FOV"
17/05/2025 - Removed "Main Menu Elements Manager" as it's no longer available
22/01/2026 - Replaced "Steam Over FBI" with "Steam Profile Redirection 2025 Update"
11/06/2026 - Improved wording. Changed and removed some links. Removed some broken mods.
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