Destiny 2 has seen a significant drop in its player count following the launch of the newly-released “The Edge of Fate” expansion, with many fans unhappy with the game’s newest changes. The massively popular online shooter from Bungie has been a mainstay in the gaming industry since its initial launch in 2017, serving as a follow-up to 2014’s Destiny. Destiny 2 would see plenty of awards and nominations throughout the years, capturing “Best Community Support” two years after its launch at the 2019 Game Awards. However, recent updates have seen the game take a downward turn.
Bungie officially debuted the newest expansion for Destiny 2 earlier this summer, launching “The Edge of Fate” as the first entry in what the developer calls “The Fate Saga.” Edge of Fate brought major changes to core elements of the game, introducing “The Portal” as a way to streamline getting into the game for newer players. The update also made major changes to how Destiny 2 calculates armor stats, as well as a brand-new tiering system for Destiny 2‘s gear. Now, the new changes have reportedly brought a significant drop in active players.
As reported by TheGamePost, new information from Steam aggregator SteamDB shows that Destiny 2‘s player count has experienced a dramatic drop-off throughout recent weeks. Destiny 2 saw a spike in players following The Edge of Fate in July, peaking at over 100,000 within the week following the newest expansion’s release. However, the charts show that Destiny 2‘s renewed enthusiasm has quickly fallen off, with a current 24-hour peak at 21,890 players and only breaking 50,000 players once in September. The drop represents a nearly 80% loss in players since the release of The Edge of Fate on July 15.
Destiny 2's Player Count Has Dropped Significantly
The sizable loss in Destiny 2‘s playerbase comes as many longtime players have lodged serious complaints about The Edge of Fate. Many fans have claimed Destiny 2‘s difficulty has been a major detractor that has led players to walk away from the game, with players claiming The Edge of Fate’s new content to be “punishingly difficult.” Others have cited everything from bugs with Destiny 2‘s newly revamped armor stats to a lack of compelling new content as a reason for the game’s decline.
Destiny 2‘s recent struggles join the shooter is gearing up for its next major expansion and the next chapter of the Fate Saga. Destiny 2‘s “Renegades” expansion, set to launch in December, will introduce a plethora of changes to the game, including both a new social hub and a new location known as the “Lawless Frontier.” Renegades will also serve as a collaboration between Bungie and LucasFilm Games, featuring new content clearly inspired by Star Wars. Destiny 2 fans can hope that Renegades’ launch will help to right the ship and get the shooter back on track.