Destiny 2 is currently more generous than ever. But how do the player numbers react to the loot overdose and why are many Guardians likely only returning to Beyond Light?
This is why Destiny is in a giving mood: The highlight of the Destiny year was supposed to be celebrated on September 22: the release of the new expansion Beyond Light – but it has been postponed to November 10.
The global COVID situation is also reflected in video games and their development, leading to many delays. However, reactions show that Destiny 2 is more frustrating in this regard than other games.
Bungie is aware of this and is trying to keep their service game appealing through the extended Season 11. Therefore, there has been an abundance of loot and special bonuses recently – but is that enough for the players?
Guardians are excited about these bonuses:
- Double loot at the end of the Firetrial turned the activity from a niche playlist into the second most popular activity in the game
- Until September 29, Guardians can enjoy triple XP in the Gambit mode, which will soon be fundamentally revamped
- Following the weekly reset on September 29, the Iron Banner kicks off with a triple boost to experience for PvP
- In the otherwise elitist Trials of Osiris, a wonder weapon is guaranteed just for participation
- Currently, through a secret mini-quest, Guardians can get the rarest item in all of Destiny 2 in just 5 minutes
In short: Those who played in the last two weeks could gather great loot faster than ever before. The significantly more rewarding Firetrial was well received and is said to be more profitable than the notorious Loot Cave.
But a look at the numbers reveals that this attracts fewer Guardians out from behind the stove than some would have expected.
How many players are lured by the bonuses?
Here are the player statistics: Since Destiny 2 moved to Steam in November 2019, we can accurately say how large the population of the MMO shooter is on this platform. And the numbers say that player counts are currently declining:
- In July 2020, approximately 68,400 Guardians were playing simultaneously, with a peak of 122,200.
- August 2020 averaged about 64,200 players and peaked at 122,500.
- In September 2020, the average so far has been 54,600 Guardians, and even at peak times only “only” 97,200.
In June, Destiny 2 still had 77,500 concurrent players and peak values of 213,600.
We cannot provide such precise numbers for player counts on PS4 and Xbox One, and can only estimate that the population behaves similarly.
What the numbers tell us: Those who now proclaim the downfall of Destiny 2 can hold their breath. The player counts of 50,000 to 65,000 correspond to the annual average. These values are quite constant, and only at the beginning of a new season are there spikes upwards.
The massive increase in June is due to three factors:
- Destiny 2 held its first live event – Within hours, over 210,000 Guardians logged in just on Steam
- Season 11 started and was set to prepare for the DLC
- Bungie released the first real information about Beyond Light
That player counts are now falling is therefore not an exception. However, the numbers also indicate that the current generosity does not create hype.
I will sign up for active duty again with the new DLC
What does it look like until Beyond Light? Many players who are still playing Destiny 2 are among the Guardians who have almost everything. They find the bonuses nice but are probably not truly dependent on them. Whether the decline in player counts would be dramatic without the rewards can only be speculated.
Although Destiny 2 is – it must be said – in a drought period, the numbers are nonetheless solid and stable. So either the overall player experience or the bonuses seem to lure players to their screens. However, many Destiny players are likely waiting for the arrival of the autumn expansion to save the universe again.
While Bungie is ramping up the information wave about Beyond Light, since the changes won’t take effect for over a month and a half, the knowledge of new weapons, overhauled engines, or new Guardian classes likely won’t be such a strong pulling factor.
However, we might still expect an increase before Beyond Light. Recently, Destiny 2 has become fully accessible in Microsoft’s Game Pass. We will see how this impacts player counts in the coming weeks.
With the launch of both next-gen consoles PS5 and Xbox Series X right around the corner along with Beyond Light, Destiny 2 will also receive a free upgrade, and console players will finally enjoy buttery-smooth FPS and fast load times.
Active Guardians are not entirely left high and dry. The stretched roadmap of Season of Arrival still offers a few (small) glimmers of hope: In Destiny 2, everyone is waiting for Beyond Light – This is what to expect until then in Season 11
