Stealth in Payday 2 can feel intimidating—especially for newer players—but once you crack the surface, there’s a whole world of clever techniques and lesser-known mechanics that make sneaky heists both satisfying and rewarding. This guide is designed to walk you through a collection of stealth-focused insights that go beyond the basics. While it’s assumed you’re already familiar with core stealth features like pagers, ECMs, and body bags, this guide aims to fill in the gaps and arm you with knowledge you won’t easily find in the game’s default tutorials.

Understanding ECMs – More Than Just Jammers Let’s start with the ECM jammer—a misunderstood tool by many beginners. While its primary function is to jam electronic signals, its potential stretches far beyond that. An ECM disables calls from both guards and civilians and also blinds security cameras while active. But once it deactivates, normal functions resume: calls can be made again, and cameras will go back online. Importantly, ECMs do not block pagers unless you’ve invested in the ECM Specialist skill. Even then, they only delay the pager call until the jammer’s timer expires. ECMs also can’t stop all alarms—some are hardwired triggers like panic buttons found on bank heists. That said, ECMs do affect the entire map, so placement is more about timing than proximity.

Many new players default to bringing body bags to stealth missions, assuming cleanup is inevitable. But understanding how ECMs can prevent detection may save you from needing body bags at all. Recognizing when and where to deploy an ECM is key to gaining full control over a stealth run.

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Know Your Detection Ranges One of the more obscure systems in stealth gameplay is detection radius. As the player, you actually have the smallest detection range—especially if using low-visibility gear. Objects, however, behave differently. Loot bags and body bags can be seen from much farther away, making their placement crucial. The most sensitive of all are alerted guards and civilians, who can be spotted by others from a considerable distance. This creates a chain reaction effect if you’re not careful. The takeaway? Always know what’s visible to whom, and don’t assume a body bag in a dark corner is safe just because you can’t see it.

Detection Is All in the Head (Literally) Here’s a fascinating mechanic most players won’t discover until much later: detection of bodies is based solely on the visibility of the head. That’s right—if you hide a civilian or guard’s head behind a desk, a wall, or even clip it into geometry, the rest of the body can be fully exposed without alerting anyone. This applies to tied-up civilians and corpses alike. In practice, this means you can leave bodies in risky locations as long as you take care to obscure the head. Likewise, this system works in reverse for players. If your character’s head is hidden behind an object, even thin ones like poles, you can avoid being spotted—even if the rest of your body is exposed.

Don’t Move – Literally Guards will sometimes catch you mid-sneak and shout “Stop! Don’t move!” In most cases, this spells disaster, but there’s a tactic hidden in their words. If the guard isn’t immediately hostile, they may approach you instead of raising the alarm. By freezing in place and letting the guard come to you, you can lure them into a more secluded spot—ideal for a silent takedown. Just remember, it’s a gamble. Not all guards will wait—some will start shooting immediately. But when it works, it can turn a risky situation into a clean recovery.

Use Shotguns to Move Bodies This tip might sound wild, but hear it out: shotguns can be used to reposition bodies after a kill. By firing at close range in a specific direction, you can send corpses or dominated enemies flying to safer locations. This makes it possible to manipulate body placement without having to carry them manually—and it works surprisingly well in tight spots like security rooms or high-traffic corridors. Combine this with stealth kill mechanics, and you gain a subtle but powerful way to clean up without being seen.

Dominate, Don’t Eliminate (Sometimes) Dominating guards in stealth isn’t just flashy—it’s effective. Shouting at a guard the instant you’re detected forces them to surrender, much like a tied civilian. While pagers will still trigger, you buy yourself time and ensure that the guard doesn’t fire back or alert others. On high difficulties where enemies have more health, this tactic becomes especially valuable. Moreover, dominated guards can also be moved using the shotgun trick, giving you extra control over the situation.

Of note: domination doesn’t work on gangsters, bikers, Colombians, and other non-standard enemies, so keep that in mind when selecting your missions.

Stealth Kills = Guaranteed One-Hit A valuable tip for players who struggle with inconsistent damage: any melee or firearm attack delivered before the enemy is aware of your presence is considered a stealth kill, and it’s always a one-hit kill. This bypasses the usual health pool of enemies, including those on higher difficulties. It’s a powerful mechanic for surgical takedowns—provided you strike first and silently.

Sprint-Jump-Crouch: The Stealth Movement Hack Movement in Payday 2 is closely tied to visibility. Sprinting is fast but noisy and obvious, while crouching keeps you hidden but moves like molasses. A clever workaround is to combine the two: sprint, jump, then crouch midair. This technique gives you the speed of sprinting with the detection profile of crouching, allowing you to zip past guards or make quick escapes without drawing attention. It’s not just flashy—it’s functional.

Distracting Guards with Movement When all else fails and pagers are used up, you’re usually out of options. But if a guard spots you and sets off an alert, there’s one last-ditch technique—distraction through movement. You can circle the guard, forcing them to focus on you rather than immediately calling in backup. It’s not foolproof, and the chances of success are slim, but it can buy your teammates the time they need to clean up or reset the situation. Desperate times call for desperate dancing.

Juggling Pagers – A Two-Man Exploit Another advanced, emergency technique is pager juggling. It requires two players and perfect coordination. When a pager goes off, one player begins answering it, but pauses right before completing the call. Then the second player picks it up, effectively resetting the timer. By passing the pager back and forth like this, you can delay its completion indefinitely. This gives you time to finish an objective or dispose of bodies. It’s highly situational and rarely practical, but it’s a good exploit to have in your back pocket.

Practice Makes Perfect At the end of the day, no guide can substitute for hands-on experience. While all stealth missions share some foundational mechanics, each heist has its own quirks, layouts, and alarm triggers. First World Bank has security guards watching camera rooms. Shady Oaks might require you to avoid killing altogether. Big Oil Day 1 doesn’t involve pagers, while Car Shop triggers an alarm if you break glass. You’ll only learn the nuances of each map by diving in, experimenting, and yes—sometimes failing. Consider each attempt a lesson, and keep pushing forward.

With this toolkit of advanced stealth knowledge, you’re ready to take on Payday 2’s silent challenges with more confidence, more control, and maybe even a little flair. Stay low, stay sharp, and get out clean.