Payday 3 Matchmaking and Nebula errors, glitches and fixes

Jump to:

Nebula Data Error: Failed to Fetch Game Config Data
Rock the Cradle bouncer won't take VIP Pass glitch

Payday 3 errors, specifically Matchmaking and Nebula issues, are something that fixes and solutions aren't currently available for - because the technical issue is at the other end. Long matchmaking and server issues have been a problem for Payday 3 since its release, but they appear to be getting resolutions soon with patches and updates.

With that in mind, because players have been struggling to get into the game at all, there's not been very many chances for players to discover many glitches, beyond the major one that's been at fault: "Nebula Data Error: Failed to Fetch Game Config Data", where players can't even matchmake at all. We've got what you need to know about that below, as well as other known Payday 3 glitches and fixes, but be warned - right now your options are pretty limited.

Nebula Data Error: Failed to Fetch Game Config Data

Matchmaking issues have been a big problem for Payday 3 since its release, most of which are tied to the "Nebula Data Error" message shown above. Unfortunately, there is no fix or solution for this if you're a player - this is a problem with the servers at Starbreeze, and needs to be solved from the other end.

Article continues below

At time of writing, these fixes are being rolled out gradually over time, rather than a single fix at once. The most recent communication from the game's official X channel (formerly Twitter) says that "In order to perform these upgrades the service will be offline between 8AM and 11AM CEST Tuesday and Friday" (26th and 29th September 2023 respectively). Chances of successful matchmaking will likely be improved after each update to the servers - there's already been an update on the most recent Sunday that has appeared to have had some effect.

Rock the Cradle bouncer won't take VIP Pass glitch

More Payday 3 guides

Payday 3 crossplay
Payday 3 Telemetry
Payday 3 Dirty Ice

If you're doing the stealth route of the Payday 3 Rock the Cradle heist, as we've laid out in the attached guide, there's a problem wherein the bouncer blocking off the VIP section won't accept the invitation and VIP Pass you've spent so much time trying to obtain. Unfortunately there's no real fix here either, beyond simply restarting the heist, as he's supposed to take the card and let you through.

Our experience is that there's roughly a 50% chance of this issue happening, so while restarting is definitely frustrating, especially with the effort required to steal and code the pass, a couple of attempts should be enough to get it to work.

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.