The SF-MMO Warframe, known as “Ninjas in Space”, has been experiencing a strong phase on Steam since August 2023: Player numbers are steadily increasing. As of October 2023, it has surpassed the struggling Destiny 2.
What’s the deal with Destiny 2 and Warframe? Both games are frequently compared and players often reject the comparison. While both are sci-fi games with an action focus and MMO elements, there are differences:
- Destiny was released in 2014 as a full-price AAA title from a glorious company. It focused on first-person shooter action with an emphasis on gameplay and elements of a games-as-a-service model. Even today, the gunplay remains unmatched.
- Warframe was released in 2013 as a free-to-play title from a company that was almost not worth mentioning and was on the verge of bankruptcy. It focuses on third-person action and started as a relatively “small game” that grew over time and even gained open-world elements.
Warframe gains 25,000 average players on Steam in 6 months
How has it gone on Steam for Warframe? Warframe has been on a rise since August 2023, consistently increasing player numbers:
- From an average of 39,713 in August 2023
- Currently, it stands at 64,601 over the past 30 days
This is the highest number since July 2018.
Destiny 2 loses 97,000 average players on Steam in 10 months
How is it going for Destiny 2 on Steam? Destiny 2, on the other hand, is faring rather poorly:
- In March 2023, with the release of Lightfall, it had an impressive average of 135,000 players
- However, Lightfall disappointed many, and currently it has about 38,000 users on Steam, significantly fewer than Warframe, which surpassed Destiny 2 on Steam by October 2023.
In November 2023, Destiny 2 reached its lowest player count on Steam ever – currently, it has only slightly recovered from that.
Service games are struggling, but Warframe is doing well
Why is this noteworthy? Warframe is one of the few “games as a service” games (similar to games with MMO elements) that is going against the current trend of the industry, as service games are generally not doing well.
After great disappointments from hyped games like Anthem or the ongoing flops at Ubisoft, the industry has distanced itself more and more from the dream that everyone could have successful games-as-a-service titles in their portfolio that regularly and reliably rake in enormous amounts of money.
Recently, there have been waves of layoffs at Activision Blizzard, Bungie, Riot Games, and Epic Games. Blizzard has even canceled its new survival game.
The trend is moving towards single-player games after Baldur’s Gate 3. The creators of Warframe are planning to develop a new live-service game called Soulsframe.
Warframe is doing well but is not a substitute for Destiny
Warframe has always been an example of a successful service game that has evolved well and saved a struggling studio.
However, it will also always be the game that disappointed Destiny 2 players will be recommended as “try this out”. It is suitable for this purpose – but like The Division back then – only to a limited extent. Due to the different perspective, it is simply a distinctly different gaming experience. Additionally, the entry is considered quite difficult.
But if someone still wants to give Warframe a try as an alternative to Destiny 2, perhaps they can be inspired by my colleague Christos:
Why Warframe is the best alternative for anyone who has lost hope in Destiny 2
