Online games rise and fall on their player counts. If a game has any sort of multiplayer or online element that relies on other people to make things interesting, you want to be assured that a reasonable number of players are as committed as you are. Which is why some people may have been concerned about Destiny 2 lately. Why? Because over two million people have stopped playing it on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One since it launched.
That’s quite a large figure! I mean, two million is a big deal. Especially since this has had a big effect on the concurrent player counts, which keeps track of how many people are online at a single time. The game peaked at 3.5 million at once, then dropped significantly to about 1.5 million at once in October. It got so bad that the Destiny Tracker website temporarily removed its chart, because people were using this drop to create “false narratives.” Which honestly, was the right decision. Because even if Destiny 2 is experiencing a bit of a lull right now, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. What is happening right now is completely normal and no cause for alarm.
First, let’s start with the main reason why no one should be worried about the Destiny 2 player count drops. This is a relatively new game. It is fresh, with the primary activities being the ones it shipped with. This means the task at hand, for most people, has been completing the campaign. While it is rather robust, this shouldn’t take most people more than a month. Which means there is a minor transition period. People who have already done most of the major things are all set and waiting for the next new thing. They may not be online right now, but they will be back.
We also have to remember that a whole Destiny 2 population is just getting into the game. The launch was staggered, after all. PC players came in a bit later. This means Bungie had to wait to start getting any other real events and extras started until everyone was around and ready to go. There’s no sense preparing events that can’t be enjoyed by everyone. Especially when the difference between the platforms’ launch dates were so small. Once there is a unified force, there will be much higher playcounts and more stability.
That stability means regular events and eventual expansions. Destiny 2 isn’t some game the developers ship out and then abandon. Bungie pays attention to its games. The Dawning will be Destiny 2’ s first major event, celebrating various winter activities and holidays. Extra events will always bring people back in greater numbers. And when the eventual expansions come, there will be major population surges.
There is one final element to consider. 2017 is absolutely crazy when it comes to games. This is a year that has brought with it games like Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Call of Duty: WWII, and Assassin’s Creed: Origins. People are going to be busy, trying to keep up. But, many of these games are ones that don’t really require further investment after being completed. Destiny 2 does. This will cause people to come back when these other dalliances are done to continue working on a major game they also love.
It is easy to spread doom and gloom stories. Especially when there seems to be data suggesting that the Destiny 2 situation is less than ideal. But we need to consider the age of the game, current gaming climate, and extenuating circumstances. While it may be easy to point and say that the game is down two million players, we also need to look at why those numbers might temporarily be down and note that there is plenty of reason to have hope of a strong recovery. Don’t be worried about Destiny 2; it is doing just fine.