Destiny 2 Closes March 2023 with Highest Average Player Count Since F2P Launch on Steam

Despite the mixed reception of Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion, the game has seen a significant boost in its player base. According to Steam Charts, the game recorded its highest average player count on Steam since October 2019 when it became free-to-play and introduced the Shadowkeep expansion.

Many players attribute this surge to the enjoyable content beyond the campaign, such as engaging activities, reduced emphasis on pinnacle grind, and diverse content offerings. The changes in difficulty levels and accessibility have made it easier for players to participate in challenging content without being at the pinnacle cap. This has encouraged players to return to the game and engage in activities they previously ignored, such as battlegrounds and vanguard strikes.

The Lightfall expansion introduced a new free roam world, Neomuna, located on the planet Neptune. Over the year, players can expect a new raid called “Root of Nightmares,” two new dungeons, and the return of a previously removed raid from either the original Destiny or Destiny 2. The expansion also adds a “Legendary” difficulty level for new and existing story content, providing improved rewards for single players.

Starting with Lightfall, previous expansions and their content will no longer be removed from the game and placed in the Destiny Content Vault. Seasonal content, however, will continue to be removed and vaulted at the start of each expansion. The Lightfall expansion has also incorporated the PsiOps and Heist Battlegrounds activities from Season of the Risen (Season 16) and Season of the Seraph (Season 19) into the Vanguard Ops playlist. These activities, along with the Battlegrounds from Season of the Chosen (Season 13), are available as Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls.

Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion has successfully attracted and retained players by offering a wide variety of engaging content and making it more accessible. We will see if the game continues to succeed going forward, and whether or not it’s able to keep players engaged.