Destiny 2 Player Count Seems to Be Down This Season

Highlights

• Destiny 2 player count hits a record low during Season of the Witch, as competition from other games and frustrations with Bungie affect sentiment.
• The season started off well, but player fatigue, frustration with Bungie firing employees, and interest in upcoming games contributed to the decline.
• Destiny 2’s declining player count on Steam may indicate a concerning trend overall, and delays in content could worsen the game’s issues for remaining players.

The Destiny 2 player count appears to be at its lowest point ever during Season of the Witch, as the popular live service title faces competition from several critically acclaimed games released throughout the year. Overall player sentiment has also been affected by Bungie’s recent layoffs, which saw a considerable portion of the Destiny 2 community team being let go.

In Season of the Witch, Destiny 2 players prepare for what’s to come in The Final Shape expansion by aiding Eris Morn in a plan that will open a path toward the Witness. The season’s reveal was well-received by the Destiny 2 community, since it brought back fond memories of The Witch Queen expansion for many returning players. Although the season was off to a great start, Destiny 2’s momentum slowed down due to player fatigue, frustrations regarding Bungie’s approach to feedback, and rising interest in 2023’s biggest games, such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield. The community’s frustrations regarding Destiny 2 and Bungie came to a head after news broke of mass layoffs at the studio and internal delays of The Final Shape expansion and Marathon. These factors led to a plummeting player count for Destiny 2 as Season of the Wish approaches in late November.

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Destiny 2 player Merzats created a spreadsheet for the game’s Steam player count in Season of the Witch, revealing a downward trend and a new all-time low for concurrent players on the platform. Merzats notes that the overall player count for Destiny 2 on Steam is down to roughly 38,453 players, which is nearly 3,000 players less than Season of Plunder’s lowest player count at 41,413. The average peak concurrent player count is also lower in Season of the Witch, since Season of the Worthy, Season of the Splicer, and Season of Plunder maintained higher overall player counts throughout its duration.

Merzats’ Reddit post sparked discussions regarding the declining player base, with many players citing boredom with the seasonal model, a lack of innovation, and frustration with Bungie’s monetization practices in Destiny 2. Moreover, the topic of Bungie’s mass layoffs remains prevalent as one of the reasons why some players decided to stop playing Destiny 2 this season. Others believe the story beats of the Lightfall campaign also contributed to the overall decline in player count as 2023 wraps up.

Although Steam charts do not directly reflect the Destiny 2 player base on consoles, a steep decline on one platform may be indicative of a concerning trend for the game as a whole. Destiny 2’s Season of the Wish launch will likely bring a notable increase in the overall player count, but the reported delay of The Final Shape could potentially bring content droughts and exacerbate the game’s issues for remaining players. Bungie may want to ensure that The Final Shape will have the content and changes that fans have been requesting for many months in order to promote growth for Destiny 2.