History ShoutOut / PAYDAY2

* The addition of the ''Film/JohnWick'' cross-promotion DLC has come with a number of references to leading actor Creator/KeanuReeves's previous roles, most notably [[MemeticMutation his trademark]] [[Film/TheMatrix "Woah."]]

* The "Optimist" mask could be a reference to either [[StealthPun Optimus]] [[Anime/TransformersRobotsInDisguise Prime]] or, with its colour scheme, possibly the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam RX-78-2 Gundam]].

* The "Floating Guy" mask is based on a Cacodemon from ''VideoGame/{{DOOM}}''.

* The "Loco" skin for the Locomotive 12G has a color scheme and pattern distinctly remiscient of Thomas the Tank Engine. Equipping a suppressor will give it Thomas' face as well, giving a maniacal grin on the end of the suppressor.

* When [[ScaryBlackMan Chains]] throws a grenade or kills a standard enemy with a trip mine, he will sometimes quip [[Series/{{Dexter}} "Surprise, muthafucka!"]]. Some heisters will also said that as well.

* The Gage Assault Pack's marketing is a fairly blatant reference to the ''VideoGame/Battlefield'' series, right down to the blue-and-orange cover art.

* In the Golden Grin heist itself, you can be asked to spike "[[VideoGame/Doom Pinky Demon schnapps]]".

* The prototype turret in Transport: Train and Henry's Rock is a [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 a level 1 RED sentry gun]]. As of Hoxton's Housewarming Party, you can get one to put in the new safehouse, too.

** A perk that allows you to carry 2 sentry guns is called "TowerDefense".

* The automatic sentry gun in Transport: Train heist and Henry's Rock heist bears a striking resemblance to [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 a certain other sentry gun]]. As of Hoxton's Housewarming Party, you can get one to put in the new safehouse, too.

* When [[ScaryBlackMan Chains]] throws a grenade or kills a standard enemy with a trip mine, he will sometimes quip [[Series/{{Dexter}} "Surprise, muthafucka!"]]

* The stock ticker in the Big Bank heist shows listing for, among other things, [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 MannCo. and the various RED and BLU subsidiaries]].

* In the Golden Grin heist itself, you can be asked to spike "[[VideoGame/Doom Pinky Demon]] schnapps".

* The "Loco" skin for the Locomotive 12G has a color scheme and pattern distinctly remiscient of Thomas the Tank Engine.

* Another skin for the AMR-16, the Legendary "Astatoz", is modified to heavily resemble the AMR-B05 assault rifle from ''Film/District9''.

* One of the lines the Taser has is "[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Target center, pull the switch]]." As an added bonus, [[CastingGag the VA for the tasers]] is Creator/SpikeSpencer.

* Getting eight bags on the Garage Escape Heist earns you [[TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty "They see me Baggin', They Hatin'"]]

* One of the pictures in the art gallery appears to be almost explicitly Cherry from [[Music/StudioKillers]] with her look appearing to be from the video "Ode To The Bouncer" [[note]] Her build is always the same but the colors of everything but her skin changes from appearance to appearance [[/note]]

* The "Killer" mask, which was added as part of the ''VideoGame/DeadbyDaylight'' Community Pack, is an exact replica of the mask The Trapper wears in-game.
* The "Mega Kevin" mask's description text about "ripping out the spine and screaming defiantly at the sky" is a reference to the MO of the ''Film/Predator''. It helps that it also bears a striking resemblance to the mask worn by the Yautja when hunting.

* The "Optimist" mask could be a reference to either [[StealthPun Optimus]] [[Franchise/Transformers Prime]] or, with its colour scheme, possibly the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam RX-78-2 Gundam]].

* Completing GO Bank on Overkill or Death Wish without anyone on the team using their primary weapons earns "Eco Round", a reference to a strategy in ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' wherein a team buys as little as possible and relies on sidearms (usually with the expectation of much less success than the PAYDAY gang can hope for) to try and save money for better weapons in later rounds.
* The addition of the Mayhem and One Down difficulties add a whole slew of related difficulty achievements, packed with references:

** Ukrainian Job on One Down gets "Dmitri, Dearest of All My friends!", in reference to ''VideoGame/MaxPayne''.
** Meltdown on One Down gets "[[Film/DrStrangelove Dr. Strangevlad]]".

** Golden Grin Casino on One Down gets "[[Film/OceansEleven Ocean's Four]]".
** Transport: Park on One Down gets "Holding Court on the Street", referencing ''Film/TheTown''.
* The 2016 Xmas Heist is called "Stealing Xmas". You go in a shopping mall and gather items in which Vlad's drunken brother-in-law hid cocaine while running from the cops, and then Vlad decides he may as well get not only his coke back, but airlift the mall's Xmas tree via helicopter so he'd have the best tree ever. Fittingly, if you manage to steal all the optional loot (jewelry and cash) on Overkill or above - [[HowTheCharacterStoleChristmas literally stealing Christmas]] - you get an achievement called [[Film/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas The Grinch]].

* The automatic sentry gun in Armored Transport's [[BonusLevel Train Heist]] bears a striking resemblance to [[VideoGame/TeamFortress2 a certain other sentry gun]]. As of Hoxton's Housewarming Party, you can get one to put in the new safehouse, too.

** Update 168 added a new heist called the "Reservoir Dogs Heist."

* The 'Death' mask, a skull with pinpoint glowing eyes and a huge grin, looks a lot like [[VideoGame/{{Undertale}} Sans]].

** Another ''Star Wars'' reference is in First World Bank if you go the stealth route; the teller who assists you may note when you enter the code on the keypad that "it's an older code, but it checks out".

* At some point in the Stealing Xmas heist, one of the tasks may be to get the coke out of shoes, which can either be in the storage room or the back office. If it's the former, it involves going through the storage, which may bring out the following from Vlad: