The Video Game Almanac > Articles > Payday 2 – Behind the Masks

Payday 2 – Behind the Masks

Love it, 80’s cartoons are terrible and great. “M-M-M-MASK! Is The Mighty Power That Can Save The Day!” Although in Payday2 M-M-M-MASK! is fairly insignificant when compared to everything else in the game. The only role a mask plays is to distinguish each character from each other, and to add a bit of cosmetic flair. Overall avatar appearance control comes down to what suit you like, which is determined by the character you choose, if another player has your character, well that’s tough luck and instead you get a different character wearing a suit that maybe you don’t really like. However, every time you play you can control your masks appearance. Unless of course, you really don’t mind how your avatar looks. I care though, I care too much. I care that the mask I use on each heist is a specific mask for a specific heist. Maybe I’m mental, but it’s fun and gives me an extra dimension to my game. Cosmetic alterations to characters in games is a standard feature, one I especially enjoy manipulating and toying around with. In Payday2 when a new mask, pattern, material, or color drops that I’ve waited ages for, I make sure to make the mask customization tool is my next stop to take advantage of it and make that mask idea a reality.

This mask is a combination G.I. Joe (again, <3 80’s stuff) and a comic book character I used to read as a kid, The Punisher. I use this mask when I am Crew Chief, or if I have to stealth because John Wicks suit matches with it very well.

Most of my mask creations have been scrapped rather than bought and saved. They’ve all been 90% or “almost perfect”, but not quite what I had visualized. Had I saved every single mask that I created, I’d have run out of the various customizing materials in my first few days of playing. So instead I save all my patterns and materials (especially the rarer ones), even though I know you get them back if you delete a mask. This hoarding of colors and collectibles without ever using them because “just in case I need it later” can be quite annoying – if you’ve ever played an RPG, you’ve likely also visited this inventory obsessive world (Skyrim players know this too well).

Even after I save a mask for use I am often only fairly satisfied with it, because they can always be improved, or I find that after use it didn’t quite fit. I think it’s perhaps better to be indecisive about an internet game mask, then to be indecisive about actual real life things. Get all of that annoying “ummm?” and “hmmm?” out of the way in a game instead of redecorating the kitchen every weekend.

For Transport heists, I like to stick with the Heat movie theme, and use the hockey mask. I made it Swedish in appearance as a nod towards both my new home and my friend who introduced me to Payday. You’ve all seen Heat right? Right?!

As said, appearance and mask creation doesn’t help with anything game play related, not really anyway. There are no advantages or disadvantages with any of the masks, so does it really matter which mask you use? And what the mask looks like? One could argue that maybe it helps you perform better as a player if you feel like your avatars mask looks badass? Though maybe you regard masks as just another distraction in a game about taking scores? Whatever the motivation with a mask is, I’d argue that everybody has thought about what mask they are using at some point. I’d also argue that in multiplayer, your fellow heisters have considered your mask and wondered what type of person chooses a mask like your one?

Bears! You don’t mess with a bear. Especially not a bear covered in blood. If I have to control a crowd in a Bank heist, or Diamond Store, I like to use this one for extra (imaginary) crowd control. Or if I am in the wilderness gathering presents full of cocaine for Vlad, I go for this mask. A ferocious bear in the woods.

I’ve thought about this quite a bit, probably too much. I doubt I am the only one who wonders what type of person chooses a certain mask, and why a choice is made to present a mask in a certain way. We’re normally taught to not judge a book by its cover but I can’t help doing that in a Payday2 lobby. And maybe that’s wrong? At the very least I am certainly very inaccurate with my assumptions about the people in my lobby. Using masks with zero customization does not make a person boring, and well designed masks do not indicate a shared interest of character creation. So I guess, you can’t judge a heister by their mask? I don’t know, but it is quite interesting to me. Masks, identity, fashion, design, elite masks etc. It’s maybe worth exploring but I’m not sure what value beyond a casual interest could really be gained from discovering such things about people and their choice of virtual appearance.



This is my first Infamous mask. And I like to imagine that in loud jobs my character can breathe and not have to worry about tear gas. Despite what gas is already seeping from its top ventilators. It’s also quite fun in shadow raid, this glowing eyed demon lurking in the shadows in warehouse looking for 17th century Swedish masterpieces.

“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask”. Maybe Bane had a point. Maybe the mask makes the person interesting, maybe it indicates more about a person who is willing to stand out from the crowd but by hiding their identity makes them intriguing. Wear a nice suit and walk into the bank, bag over your shoulder, “what’s in that persons bag?” Blend in while you wait for your crew to get into position, “Just another customer”. The mask goes on and suddenly everybody notices you. They all realize what is about to happen. No longer a part of the crowd but still anonymous, your mask is your new identity as the person who is going to ruin their day. The job is quick, it is clean, and you’ve made it back to the safe house. Real identity intact. You have your mask to thank for that, they won’t remember who put the mask on, but they will remember that mask looking back at them. Best make a lasting impression eh?

Lastly, this is one of my crew masks. We’re currently working on our own Voltron crew (Inspired from this). My favorite color is red, so I get to be the right arm.

Useful Links

If you are interested in Payday 2 masks, there is a sub-Reddit forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/paydaymasks

The Payday 2 wiki shows every available (and how to obtain):

Mask & color: http://payday.wikia.com/wiki/Masks_(Payday_2)

Material: http://payday.wikia.com/wiki/Materials

Pattern: http://payday.wikia.com/wiki/Patterns