Destiny 2 Has Hit a New Low

Steam numbers show that Destiny 2 has hit a new low in the last 30 days with only 32,497 average players, a far cry from its peak player count. Bungie has been updating Destiny 2 for seven years, but its best days may be behind it.

Destiny 2 has gone through ups and downs over the years since it was released. With major content updates and expansions, player counts often rise, but this is contrasted by lower player counts during quieter months. Since the game follows a seasonal model unlike its predecessor, it has seen player counts remain relatively consistent since launch. Bungie laid off many of its employees earlier this year, causing some concern about the future of Destiny 2 and its upcoming game, Marathon. With the game hitting a new low in player count numbers, the studio may need to find a way to return lapsed players to the game.

The Game Post has discovered that Destiny 2 player counts have plummeted to 32,497 average Steam players this month. This is a stark contrast when compared to the Final Shape‘s expansion launch when it reached an all-time high of 123,023 average monthly players. This shows a loss of 90,526 players in a community-driven game that thrives with more gamers playing it. When factoring in all the platforms Destiny 2 is on, the population sits at around 469,180 average monthly players. Steam charts also show the Witch Queen expansion drew 60,961 average monthly players, Lightfall saw 62,610, and The Final Shape hit 32,497 only three months after their release. This means that despite The Final Shape bringing in the biggest numbers of any expansion, it has seen the biggest drop in players as well.

Destiny 2 Has Declined in Average Monthly Players

Bungie has confirmed that Destiny 2 remains a multi-year journey that will continue to see support, which may indicate that these player numbers could increase in the future. Despite this, the developer has suggested that the scale and frequency of future expansions could be affected by recent layoffs. In July 2024, Bungie laid off approximately 220 employees as part of a reorganization effort due to rising development costs. Though Bungie has denied the existence of Destiny 3, the company was acquired by Sony for $3.6 billion, which may indicate big projects beyond Marathon.

As Bungie continues to update Destiny 2, it may see increases to the new low of 32,497 average monthly players. The game’s free-to-play nature may also help bring new players to the game in future content updates which could open the door for a higher peak than 123,023 players.