Destiny 2 is in a tough spot right now. Player numbers have dipped below what Bungie once warned could lead to the game being shut down. Currently, the game has an average player count of about 17,400 on Steam, marking a record low since it started on that platform in 2019. Discussions about the game’s health are buzzing everywhere, from community forums to social media, where recent reviews paint a bleak picture.
A community site called popularity.report tracks player data across all platforms. Unfortunately, the numbers show a serious decline. Destiny 2’s current player count is now worse than during the infamous Curse of Osiris expansion release in 2017, which is considered one of the game’s low points.
Justin Truman, Bungie’s studio head, shared that back in 2018, they were five weeks away from potentially closing Destiny 2 due to a massive player drop. He noted this during a talk at GDC 2023, looking back at the game’s early struggles post-Curse of Osiris. He said, “If we lost players at that rate for five more weeks, we’d be out of business.” What saved the game then was the Forsaken expansion, which helped rebuild player confidence and revitalized the community.
Fast forward to now, and it seems Destiny 2 is heading back to that challenging territory. Recent data indicates an average daily online player count in the mid-300,000s, the lowest seen across all platforms. In contrast, during the low point in March 2018, the count sat between 400,000-500,000.
While it’s still attracting some new players, the total numbers remain stagnant. Recent stats from September show new player acquisition still struggling despite ongoing expansions. For instance, on October 1, 2025, only 4,800 new players joined, which is significantly lower than during more robust periods. This indicates a growing concern—while some join the game, many aren’t sticking around.
Bungie is now shifting focus to its future project, Marathon. With Destiny 2’s population at a concerning low, success with Marathon is crucial. The gaming world is watching closely to see if Bungie can find ways to reignite Destiny 2 or if it has hit a dead end.
What does this mean for the game’s future? Bungie remains part of Sony, so an immediate shutdown seems unlikely, especially given Destiny’s long-term success over the last decade. However, with many content creators voicing their frustrations and taking breaks, the community’s sentiment is clear—it’s time for significant changes to keep players engaged.
The road ahead is uncertain. Will Bungie manage to pull off another comeback, or is Destiny 2 facing its final curtain? Only time will tell.
