As STX Entertainment prepares for the release of its groundbreaking action movie “Hardcore Henry,” the studio has partnered with independent game developer, creator and publisher Starbreeze, which will integrate an all-new character from Ilya Naishuller’s film and two new heists into its popular game “Payday 2,” it was announced Monday to much fanfare among gamers.
Starbreeze’s hit “Payday” franchise has more than 9 million active players worldwide. The “Hardcore Henry” promotion began on March 24 with the availability of a Jimmy Character Pack and a special online trailer directed by Naishuller. The integration will move into full gear on March 31 when Starbreeze and STX team up to release two new full-throttle ‘Hardcore’ Heists, allowing for immersive interplay between the game and the forthcoming film.
The Jimmy Character Pack DLC is free for all “Payday 2” players and will welcome “Hardcore Henry’s” mysterious and multi-talented character Jimmy (Sharlto Copley) to the game‘s gang of heisters. The Hardcore Heists DLC for “Payday 2,” also available free to all players, contains two all-new heists — “Hardcore: The Boiling Point Heist” and “Hardcore: The Murky Station Heist.” Both content additions will be available for “Payday 2” players through Steam and other digital distribution channels.
Also, for a limited time, customers that purchase “Hardcore Henry” movie tickets via Fandango or Movietickets.com will receive a code for a free download of “Payday 2” and the Hardcore DLCs. First launched in 2011, “Payday” is a cooperative first-person shooter computer and video game franchise with more than 9 million players on PC, SteamOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
“It’s been a long-time dream of mine to gain a great movie collaboration for ‘Payday 2’ and have the director of the movie intimately involved in creating a live-action piece for the game. I’m so psyched to have Ilya direct our Payday-crew and introduce Jimmy in such a bombastic way,” said Starbreeze CEO Bo Andersson Klint. “We’re ecstatic to be able to expand our entertainment industry cross collaborations with this STX Entertainment partnership.”
“‘Hardcore Henry’ and ‘Payday 2’ are the perfect marriage of entertainment properties, and we hope that gamers join us on this amazing thrill ride,” said Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer of STX Entertainment.
“Ilya Naishuller is a one-of-a-kind talent who has re-defined the way motion pictures are experienced, and we are thrilled to continue to break new ground with him in interweaving the movie and gaming worlds with this unique marketing program with Starbreeze,” said Jack Pan, president of marketing for the STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
Following a festival run that included stops at Toronto and SXSW, STX will release “Hardcore Henry” on April 8. Produced by Naishuller and Timur Bekmambetov, among others, the film is shot from the first-person POV and stars Sharlto Copley, Haley Bennett and Danila Kozlovsky as the film’s villain.
The “Hardcore Henry” DLC/”Payday 2″