Destiny 2 Player Count Drops on Steam With 38K Players on Average

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Abiyan

At Tech4gamers, I cover all sorts of gaming news. Whether it’s a leak of any upcoming game or an update, an announcement, or a rumour, I like to write about it all. Over the weekend, I sit and write features where I talk about games that I miss or want to see return.

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Bungie’s work on Destiny 2 has been considered exemplary in the live-service genre. As a game with ongoing support since 2017, it has consistently maintained high player counts through new expansions.

However, Bungie has faced a few internal issues recently. The studio laid off crucial developers last month, and its successful live-service title appears to be on a downward spiral.

Destiny 2 is doing worse than ever on Steam, reporting its lowest player counts this month.

Why it matters: Player retention is crucial for a live-service game. Lack of interest and engagement has previously led to many games being abandoned by studios.

Less than 20K players are currently active in Destiny 2, and its 24-hour peak topped out at around 38K players today. The game has received similar numbers over the last month, marking an all-time low for Bungie’s latest title.

Not too long ago, this first-person shooter used to average over 50K players each day, but player retention has now dropped significantly. The game peaked at 59K concurrent players this month, which is nothing compared to previous peaks.

Destiny 2 was able to consistently hit over 100K players on weekends. However, reports pointed out that Bungie’s revenue was 45% below the projection this year, and player counts have been down since the release of Lightfall.

This has also forced the studio to delay future expansions. The fact that 2023 is packed with exciting games for those unhappy with the current state of Destiny 2 has likely not helped either.

Bungie’s parent company, PlayStation, is currently going through a restructuring phase.

This may have played a small role in the current turmoil at the studio, but Bungie has mostly remained a separate entity, even after it was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

This declining interest could push the studio to pursue Destiny 3, a potential new game for this IP. While this sequel remains to be announced, Bungie has recently dropped hints through a survey.

Abiyan

[News Reporter]

Abiyan is on track to complete his Computer Science bachelor’s degree. His enthusiasm for writing and gaming motivates him to keep readers and gamers updated with the latest information from the industry. In his free time, Abiyan enjoys playing Dota 2 and Rocket League. Abiyan has also been cited in reputed websites such as Kitguru, Comicbook, GamingBible, Eurogamer and Gamingbolt.