Den of Wolves: A Fresh Take on Co-op Heist Games Inspired by Payday, Cyberpunk, and Heat

Everything went south. It’s almost laughable when you think about how much effort we put into preparing for this heist. My team and I spent days laying out every detail. We scoped out the high-tech bank, gathering all the gear we needed to shatter those vast windows and make our exit. We even had a swarm of lethal drones ready, planning to slip in disguised as mere delivery men. It was a flawless plan on paper. Yet, as is often the case with such elaborate schemes, things didn’t go as planned.

A dreaded foe came into play: greed. Happens all the time, doesn’t it? We’d already extracted our main objective—the precious data nestled in the mind of a tech giant’s CEO, suspended in some sci-fi cocoon. A hack into his cerebral cortex had gotten us what we came for, and we were prepped to bolt. But then, someone on the team—who, by the way, is part of the 10 Chambers developer squad—thought, “Why stop there? Why not raid the extra vaults too?”

It seemed reasonable enough, with our prepared exit strategy ready—a leap from the skyscraper’s upper floors reminiscent of Dubai’s grandest towers. Swiping some additional loot? Sounded like a bonus. But as we took our positions, all chaos broke out. An army of security bots and mercenaries rushed in, a hailstorm of bullets and barriers. One teammate got cornered on the lobby floor, while another, covering the right side, fell to a sudden grenade attack. I was positioned at the back, leading the getaway when some sharp-eyed adversary tried to take me down from across the hall. And just like that, game over.

Yeah, this heist game sure knows how to deliver thrills. I appreciate its knack for unpredictability. One of the devs remarked, “I’ve never seen so many adversaries appear at once. Just shows anything can happen!” This element of surprise is Den of Wolves’ ace compared to other games in its category. Titles like Payday and Payday 2 often throw you right into the action without a solid plan—each player taking wildly different approaches, from stealthy vault breaches to guns-blazing spray-and-pray.

But in Den of Wolves, preparation is key. It’s more strategic, where one player takes on the role of a George Clooney-type from Ocean’s 11, orchestrating the operation, while another plays a Brad Pitt-like figure, cool and ready for anything. Then there’s always someone keen to be the risk-taker, like a Matt Damon with a point to prove.

Reflecting on our attempt, Simon Viklund, co-founder and narrative lead at 10 Chambers, shares his perspective: “It reminds me more of Heat. Remember how the crew gears up in the beginning, gathering explosives and an ambulance? They prepare, and it shows.” That philosophy is the backbone of Den of Wolves—embarking on heists only after completing preparatory missions enhancing your chances of success.

To illustrate, before diving into the main heist (which I hear could last a daunting 40 minutes), we tackled a shorter ten-minute mission, breaching a secure complex to ‘acquire’ an assault drone. This tech helped us break into the vault with minimal opposition; stashed away discreetly, the drone wiped out internal threats once activated. The coast clear, we progressed unhindered—well, until we didn’t.

“It’s far grittier than Ocean’s adventures,” Viklund chuckles. “But it also offers more player autonomy. Depending on your groundwork, you decide if you want a stealth setup, a sniper approach, or an all-out assault.” Perhaps my downfall came from sticking solely to a marksman role; while a rifle or DMR does wonders for me, a surprise wave of armed attackers means I might’ve done better with an SMG or some explosives. I’ll just have to live—or not—with that.

Den of Wolves takes the Payday blueprint and deepens it, introducing stakes and consequences. The developers behind this, veterans of former heist favorites, are weaving in lessons learned from past projects. The game embraces peril, a feeling familiar from their co-op shooter GTFO, but it remains approachable. Our ambition and arrogance led to our undoing, not the game itself.

Set against a backdrop that feels sharp and responsive, Den of Wolves plays into its cyberpunk aura. Every shot and every rumble has an impact. You can almost feel the weight of a full loot sack on your shoulder as you navigate the escape, while precision shots through protective barriers make you feel clever and rewarded.

Even at this early stage—barely out of pre-pre-alpha—Den of Wolves impresses. Its play structure (plan, prep, execute, loot, and escape) promises to grow richer and more satisfying. Ulf Andersson, the mind behind the original Payday, had long envisioned a sci-fi twist on the heist concept; Den of Wolves is a culmination of that decades-long vision.

It’s evident in every polished detail. This game is poised to fill a niche with its focus on player-driven experiences. With nods to innovative monetization strategies and a firm grip on the genre, Den of Wolves looks set to captivate fans and redefine co-op heist gameplay. Here’s hoping 10 Chambers can maintain its momentum.

Expect to see Den of Wolves hit Early Access soon. It’s confirmed for PC, though we’re still waiting to hear about the exact launch date.