Things aren't looking good for Destiny 2 right now. The game's Steam numbers have taken a fall this December, and players are starting to worry about what this means for their favorite space shooter. The Destiny 2 player decline has been pretty dramatic, with fewer Guardians logging in than ever before. Let's see what exactly is going on.
The Numbers Tell a Rough Story
Let's talk numbers. Hint: they're not pretty. This month, Destiny 2's average player count on Steam dropped to just 24,826 players, which is the lowest it's ever been.
The peak player count isn't any better, hitting rock bottom at 39,764 players. To put that in perspective, that's way down from November, when about 30,113 players were jumping in regularly. The Destiny 2 Steam statistics show that something's definitely off. But what?
What Went Wrong?
The trouble started back in June after The Final Shape launch. Sure, the game was buzzing then, with over 310,000 players excited to wrap up the Light and Darkness saga. But since then? The numbers have been dropping. Even October's Episode Revenant couldn't stop the Destiny 2 community decline.
The current Dawning holiday event hasn't helped either. Players have been running into all sorts of headaches: cookies that don't work right, guns that won't focus properly, and don't even get us started on the mess with the Dawning event card. First it was free, then it wasn't, and players weren't happy about that quick switch.
But that's not even the end of the story. The Crucible has been acting up, Episode Revenant's tonics are giving players grief, and a bunch of other annoying bugs keep popping up. All these issues are making it harder for players to enjoy their time in-game, and many are simply choosing to log off.
The Bigger Picture?
Old-time players are getting tired of doing the same old stuff. Many are saying the game feels like a chore now, with too many repetitive tasks and not enough fun. Finding a group for activities has become a real pain too. There just aren't enough Guardians around anymore.
It's worth noting that there are tons of other great games out right now, and many Destiny 2 players are probably checking those out during this holiday period. Plus, we're still not done with December, so these numbers could change. But let's be real—most signs point to things getting worse before they get better.
Looking ahead to 2025, Bungie's got their work cut out for them. They're planning to drop Episode Heresy and some other big updates, which might help bring players back. But right now, the Destiny 2 player count is definitely in rough shape.
It's not all doom and gloom though. Destiny 2 has bounced back from tough times before. The game still has a dedicated core community, even if it's smaller than usual. Plus, Bungie's shown they can turn things around when they put their minds to it.
The real question is whether they can fix these issues fast enough to keep their remaining players interested. With the game hitting such low numbers, 2025 will be a judgement year for Destiny 2. We'll be watching to see if Bungie can pull off another comeback and get players excited about protecting the Last City again.