A long summer break with dwindling player numbers: This is what Destiny 2 is currently struggling with until the new DLC “The Final Shape” is released. It’s good that Bungie had an ace up their sleeve and brought many players back to the servers with the free event “Into the Light.”
What did the servers of Destiny 2 look like? Generally speaking, relatively empty. Who doesn’t remember the crowded towers of Destiny 2 where minutes-long loading screens meant you spawned in the tower with up to 20 other guardians? Well, those times are over. Anyone loading into the tower finds an empty social space full of NPCs, and matchmaking wait times are longer than usual as well.
Looking back at the last weeks and months when guardians logged in via Steam, it was clear many players were wandering elsewhere and had no interest in the same activities from Season 23.
However, with the release of “Into the Light,” the number of players changed rapidly, and the loot shooter enjoys a larger audience of guardians.
120,000 players on Steam after months of drought
What caused the increase in players? Bungie announced a delay for “The Final Shape”. The DLC was originally set to release in February 2024 but was pushed to June of the same year. The delay was spontaneous, and Bungie had to develop new content so players would have a reason to log in during the big content drought.
For this reason, the free update “Into the Light” was created. The update was supposed to bring a horde mode, 12 iconic weapons, two exotic missions from the past, a raid mode, as well as three new PvP maps. A big package that could attract many guardians, as the release of the update shot player counts on Steam up to 120,000 players at peak.
What do the player numbers look like now on Steam? Comparing the player counts from the last months on steamcharts.com, one can see in the graph that player numbers have averaged between 30,000 and 40,000 players. However, since the release of the update, player numbers briefly shot up to 123,508.
After that, depending on playtimes, numbers follow from 60,000 to 90,000 players at peak. One might think that Bungie has briefly brought its players back. It remains to be seen whether the gatekeeping of content can keep players on the servers longer or if they will gradually leave for other titles.
Did Bungie do a good job with “Into the Light” or are you dissatisfied with the free update? Let us know in the comments!
