New players no longer have to register a Nebula account with an email address to start PAYDAY 3. Update 3.10 introduced an automatic, platform-linked “headless” account. That is still an account behind the scenes.
Start or link: two different needs
For a new player staying on one platform, the automatic account removes the manual signup step. If you want cross-platform progression, the cross-platform friends list, or to change your in-game name, the official update lists these as features of a manually created Nebula account. Linking is available from the game's main menu. Check the platform account you are using before proceeding.
Existing players keep their account
The announcement says existing players are unaffected. It does not instruct you to unlink your established account, make a replacement or discard your progression. If you cannot sign in, record the exact error and use official support. Repeatedly unlinking accounts is not a documented universal repair.
Do not confuse signup with offline play
The removal of mandatory email signup does not establish disconnected offline support. Nor does a peer-to-peer networking announcement prove it: update 3.3 initially described limited P2P tests. These sources do not provide a current, complete offline/platform entitlement matrix, so this guide makes no blanket promise of offline access or transfer of paid DLC licenses.
If an older guide insists on registration
Check its date against 26 October 2026. A July report about signup failure is useful evidence of the player problem, but it predates headless accounts. New-player onboarding and recovery of an existing account are different cases; tell support which case applies.
Sources
Based on official documentation. Gameplay advice is editorial unless a test is explicitly documented.