P90

Lore & Background

The P90 has always been the crowd-pleaser of the submachine gun roster. Where the MP5 series offers a balanced, tactical profile and the UZI leans into raw chaos, the P90 carves out its own identity as the high-volume, high-tempo option. Its top-mounted magazine is instantly recognizable and gives it a silhouette that stands out on the character model, making it a visual favorite for players who like their weapons to look as aggressive as they feel.

In the world of the four (or five, depending on which installment you're in) masked professionals, the P90 represents a certain philosophy: you don't need to hit every single bullet, you just need enough of them to hit. It rewards players who commit to a target and let the cyclic rate do the work, turning a burst of sustained fire into a reliable takedown. In the chaos of a bank vault, a prison yard, or a government facility, that philosophy tends to keep the crew alive.

Across the Payday games, the P90 has consistently been positioned as an accessible, no-frills SMG. It doesn't demand the highest-tier attachments to be effective, and its base performance is already solid enough to punch above its weight in a well-timed spray. For many players, it's the first SMG they reach for when they want something that feels fast, loud, and unapologetically aggressive without the complexity of a full rifle setup.

In Their Own Story

The vault door groaned open, and the fluorescent lights of the sub-basement bathed the corridor in a sickly yellow glow. Hoxton's breath fogged behind the mask as she racked the P90's bolt, the top-mounted magazine catching the light with a faint metallic glint. Three, maybe four hostiles ahead. Maybe more. She didn't need to know the exact number. She just needed the trigger to stay pressed and the corridor to stay clear. The first burst chewed through the drywall behind the first cop's shoulder. The second burst ended the conversation. She moved, the P90's compact frame barely disturbing her sprint, and the next two went down before they could even raise their rifles. The magazine was half empty. She didn't care. There was still a vault to crack, a truck to hit, and a crew waiting on the other side of that door. The P90 was still warm in her hands, still hungry, and that was all the information she needed.

Reader's Guide

P90 — Submachine Gun

Category: SMG. The P90 is a top-fed, high-rate-of-fire submachine gun available in Payday 2 and Payday 3. Its defining trait is a very fast cyclic rate paired with a compact, manageable recoil pattern, making it ideal for close-quarters and mid-range suppression.

Key stats: High fire rate, moderate per-round damage, compact size, top-mounted magazine. It excels in tight spaces and against groups of lower-armor targets.

Attachments and customization: Depending on the installment, the P90 can be fitted with a suppressor for stealth approaches, an extended magazine to increase sustained fire, a compensator or recoil-reducing attachment to tighten the spray pattern, and optics or a laser sight for faster target acquisition. In Payday 2, the attachment slots follow the standard SMG layout.

Unlock: Purchased from the in-game gun store using cash earned through heists. It is available relatively early in the progression, making it one of the first dedicated SMGs a new crew can access.

Practical role in heist loadouts: The P90 shines as a primary or secondary in close-quarters scenarios — vault breaches, prison yard escapes, and any map with narrow corridors. Pair it with a longer-range sidearm or rifle for coverage beyond its effective sweet spot. Its high fire rate makes it excellent for clearing clustered enemies quickly, while its compact size keeps the character's movement speed competitive. It is a strong choice for players who prefer aggressive, mobile playstyles over methodical, precision-based engagements.

Tip: The P90's damage per round is moderate, so sustained fire matters more than single-shot accuracy. Let the rate of fire do the work and keep your aim near the center mass of your target.

Did You Know?

• The P90's top-mounted magazine is a signature design element of the real-world FN P90, and the Payday games preserve this distinctive silhouette on the in-game model, making it instantly recognizable among the SMG roster
• In Payday 2, the P90's very high rate of fire means it can deplete a standard magazine quickly, making the extended magazine attachment one of the most popular upgrades for sustained engagements.
• The P90 appears across multiple entries in the Payday franchise, maintaining its identity as a fast, compact SMG while receiving updated stat tuning and visual presentation in each installment.
• Because of its compact frame and high cyclic rate, the P90 is often recommended as a secondary weapon to complement a longer-range primary, giving the crew a reliable close-range option without sacrificing mobility.