Payday 3: Dirty Ice Stealth Guide

One of the simplest heists in Payday 3 is Dirty Ice. This humble jewelry store is easy to rob, but it also has a lot of depth and intricacies to it, some of which you might miss your first time doing it. Here’s how to stealth Dirty Ice in Payday 3.

Payday 3: Dirty Ice Stealth Guide

• Casing the Store
• Breaking in Through the Back
• Finding the Basement Code
• Disabling the Display Cases Alarm
• Loot the Store and Escape
• How to Access the Jewelry Workshop (Optional)
• How to Open the Vault (Optional)

Casing the Store

The first thing to do for a Dirty Ice stealth run is to walk through the front door. In the far back corner is a woman in a blue shirt, who’s the manager. She’s only on this map for a limited time, and she’s needed to access the Jewelry Workshop side objective. You don’t need to take note of her if you plan on running through this for the main objectives though.

Potentially more important is her employee of the month sign close to her. Take a look at it and memorize her employee number. It might come in handy later, depending on RNG.

Breaking in Through the Back

Everything is locked upfront, so you’ll need to break in through the back. The left side has a locked gate and a guard patrolling around some vehicles. It’s possible he might have a Blue keycard on him, although I’ve usually seen it on another guard.

You can lockpick the gate and avoid him to find the backdoor. The problem is that it’s locked by a QR code. Thankfully, a phone with one will spawn either further back on a crate next to an NPC smoking, or on the ground next to a car. Use this to open the door or mask up and break through the window.

Alternatively, you can enter through the right side. This leads to another locked gate and a tight alleyway. A guard walks in and out of the building, though, and there’s a good chance he has the blue keycard. If you’re trying to do this maskless, we suggest not taking this route. There’s a ledge you need to climb to reach the backside of the store, and it’s easier to just take this guard down. If you don’t care, do this then. You’ll still be able to access the doors and windows to get in.

Finding the Basement Code

Either way, continue your Dirty Ice stealth run through the door or windows to find the door on the left that needs to be lockpicked. This is the Manager’s Office. Make sure to snag another phone QR code in here and then read through her emails. One of them will be about the Basement Code. RNG will dictate that it’s one of three things:

• The manager’s employee number, which we saw earlier.
• The WiFi password, which is available in the Break Room.
• A number written in a folder in the VIP Showroom.

If it’s the first one, you’re all set. The second just needs you to peek outside and approach the break room at the end of the hall. If it’s the last one, you need to access the VIP Showroom.

All you need to get in there is a QR code. On higher difficulties, there might be a civilian along with a camera. Avoid them if you can, and read the four-digit number on the table. You can’t grab the jewelry just yet, as the display cases have an alarm system. There’s also a door leading to the Jewelry Workshop in here, although you also need to go to the basement first.

Now, you just need to return to the back of the store and go down the stairs. Approach the keypad and enter the code to gain access to the basement. It won’t display on your HUD, but you can see the fingerprints on the keypad if you forgot the correct code.

Disabling the Display Cases Alarm

Down here, you’ll find some cameras, the camera room (which you can use the blue keycard for), and a guard. Make your way through as you wish and find the door at the far end. Inside is a power switch for the display case, a Red keycard, and a safe.

You only need to interact with the power switch to complete the main objectives. The red keycard allows access to a vault, while the inside of the safe contains documents needed to complete the manager-related side objective.

Loot the Store and Escape

You’re all set to loot the store now and complete your Dirty Ice Stealth run. Return to the VIP Showroom and take all of the jewelry. Do you remember where that lone NPC was in the back, potentially next to a phone? A little past them is your escape van, so you just need to carry the loot over there. Consider tying him up to be safe, and then just make sure to avoid the patrolling guard. Now you’re set.

If you want more, you can also loot the front of the store. It’s very difficult to do this in stealth and without triggering anything, especially for those playing solo. An unmasked player with the Social Engineering skill could pull it off pretty easily, though, as long as they avoid the guard.

How to Access the Jewelry Workshop (Optional)

The Jewelry Workshop side objective can only be achieved if you work fast enough. Crack the safe inside the basement to find some incriminating documents. Take a copy for Shade, and she’ll tell you to patch her into the phone in the manager’s office. Return there and interact with the phone to have her call and blackmail the manager. If she’s already left, you can’t do this step.

She’ll only walk to the back for a few moments before returning to the public room through the VIP Showroom. Take her as a human shield and shove her into the biometric reader next to the Jewelry Workshop door.

Tie her up once it opens, and you’ll find the unique Multi-Tag Scanner. An interesting tidbit about this store is that some of the jewelry is less than authentic. This is why the money at the end of a heist might seem paltry if you skip this step.

Throwing bags of jewelry into this scanner will sort out what’s “clean,” leaving you with a much more valuable bag. Throw in as many as you can and then leave with the output to earn a lot more cash. You’ll know which loot is different as the higher quality will have X’s marked on them.

How to Open the Dirty Ice Vault (Optional)

Another side objective is to open the nearby vault in the same hallway as the VIP Showroom. Thankfully, it’s not as difficult to open as other heist vaults. The tricky part about this is that it’s a two-person process. One person needs to press the button in the manager’s office, and another needs to swipe the red keycard.

Related: How to Open the Vault in Gold & Sharke

This is easier with two players, but you can also shove a civilian into the button to make them long-press it. Swipe the Red Keycard, and you’ll be able to open the vault. Inside is a Rare Stone that will greatly increase how much money you leave with. Just make sure to tie up that hostage again.

That covers all you need to know about how to stealth Dirty Ice in Payday 3. If you want to be the most prepared to do this quietly, check out our list of the best skills for stealth builds. Any other tips and tricks can be found at our PD3 guides hub.