Data strongly indicates that Lightfall marked a drastic shift in the course of Destiny 2

Destiny 2 has been a popular game for several years, but recently, it seems that something has caused a significant downturn in its player base. Many players, including myself, have expressed their frustrations and complaints about the game. However, according to Forbes.com, when we look at the data, it appears that there might be more to the story than just fans burning out.

Lightfall was a highly anticipated expansion, and it generated a lot of interest. At its peak on Steam, it had a record-breaking 316,651 concurrent players. This was more than any other time in Destiny 2’s history, including the launch of Witch Queen, which had 289,895 players at its peak in February 2022. However, despite the initial excitement, Lightfall did not live up to the expectations set by previous expansions like Witch Queen, Beyond Light, and Forsaken.

Many players found the expansion lacking, pointing to various issues. The story felt extraneous and poorly explained, the new characters failed to resonate with players, and there were no significant updates to PvP or Gambit modes.

New Bungie IP leaving players uncertain about Destiny 2’s future

As a result, the player base dwindled rapidly. By the middle of the first season after Lightfall, the number of concurrent players dropped from 316,000 to 87,000. This was a substantial decline, considering the high numbers Lightfall initially achieved. The drop in player numbers was not just anecdotal feedback but was evident in the game’s data. Interestingly, there might have been another factor contributing to the decline of Destiny 2’s popularity.

Bungie announced its new game called Marathon, which garnered a lot of attention. Many key developers, including members of the old PvP team, moved to work on this new project, leaving some players feeling disheartened and uncertain about Destiny’s future.

Now, with The Final Shape on the horizon, as the grand finale of the current “arc” in the series, one would hope for a resurgence in player numbers. Lightfall created a moment of excitement with its record-breaking player numbers at launch. However, due to various issues and player dissatisfaction, it led to a sharp decline in the game’s player base. Coupled with the announcement of Bungie’s new game, Marathon, Destiny 2 faced an uphill battle to retain its former glory.

As the series moves towards its grand finale, it remains to be seen if it can recover and regain its momentum.

[socialpoll id=”2910891″]