Bain was infected with a virus and eventually rescued by the Payday gang, but his fate remains ambiguous as he seemingly passes away, only to hint at his survival through a cryptic message.
In the lore of Payday 2, Bain, the mastermind behind the Payday gang, is captured by the mercenary group Murkywater and the Dentist, one of the contractors who provides jobs to the gang. During his captivity, Bain is infected with a deadly virus as part of the overarching plot of the game’s secret ending. The Payday gang undertakes a series of heists to locate and rescue Bain, culminating in the heist called “Hell’s Island” where they successfully free him.
After his rescue, Bain’s health is severely deteriorated due to the virus. In the White House heist, which serves as the game’s narrative conclusion, the gang breaks into the White House to steal presidential pardons for their criminal records. During this heist, Bain is present but in a weakened state. It is implied that he succumbs to the virus shortly after the heist, as he collapses and is not visibly breathing.
However, the story does not end there. In the secret ending, which requires players to solve a complex ARG (Alternate Reality Game) to unlock, it is revealed that Bain had planned for the possibility of his demise and had set up a contingency to ensure the gang’s survival without him. The secret ending also includes a cryptic message that suggests Bain may have somehow survived or transcended his physical form, as he speaks of seeing the gang again in another life.
The true fate of Bain remains a topic of speculation among the Payday 2 community, as the game’s narrative leaves room for interpretation, and the developers have not provided a definitive answer.
