Is Destiny 2’s Player Count Still High in 2023?

Updated · Mar 06, 2023

When it comes to older games, people most commonly wonder whether they are still popular and interesting enough to give them a go. 

Rightly so! Arguably, the best part of playing multiplayer online games is the opportunity to share your enthusiasm, skills, and preferably, wins with your team.

So, how many people still play Destiny 2?

An extremely successful sequel to an equally successful game, Destiny 2, its lore and regular updates seemingly guarantee a big Destiny 2 player count.

Join us to see if that’s true and if the game’s worth your time.

Developer: Bungie

Year of release: 2017

Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia

Genre: Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter (MMOFPS)

Riveting Facts Destiny 2 Facts (Editor's Choice)

  • During the game’s first weekend, the Destiny 2 concurrent player count was around 1.2 million.
  • There are 40 million people subscribed to Destiny 2.
  • Since Bungie went independent, the game attracted an additional 20 million players.
  • It’s the 43rd most watched game on Twitch.
  • The daily Destiny 2 population comprises around 735,000 players.
  • On July 1, 2020, around 728,000 players, out of all 1.18 million were playing PvP.
  • 2021 was one of the best years for Destiny 2.

Destiny 2 Info

You might know a lot about the game or you could be a Destiny universe novice. Our selected info and stats will surely be most interesting even to the most hardcore fans.

We’ll start with the basics first as they are integral to its success. 

1. The game became free to play in October 2019.

(Source: TheGamer) 

Let’s rewind for almost a year before that. Destiny 2 went free for PC players between November 2 and November 18, 2018, as a celebration for its first birthday and lots of players hopped in and took advantage of the limited offer.

Fast forward to 2019—a year that was, sadly, not that good for most MMOFPS. The Destiny 2 popularity was on a steady decline even though its downloadable content always had a good outcome. Consequently and especially after the previous year's frenzy, Bungie made their hit game free to play once and for all.

(Source: Forbes) 

Why did Destiny 2 get popular? Well, it’s not just because it’s free.  

For starters, its famed developers are the ones responsible for the first three games of the legendary Halo series. It’s no wonder then the amount of people hopping on to see what Destiny was all about. 

It’s been extremely well received among players. What also still keeps the Destiny 2 player count high in 2022 is the game’s reward system with many claiming it makes playing even more addicting.

3. Destiny 2 is the 43rd most-watched game on Twitch.

(Source: TwitchTracker) 

You now know how many people are playing Destiny 2 but did you know how many watch its streams? Unfortunately, not that many. It only had 470,915 viewers at its peak on May 18, 2018. For comparison, the best ranking games frequently exceed one million spectators

Destiny 2 Players

Destiny’s execution has to be at the core of its popularity. Another major plus among many, especially Stadia players, is that it supports crossplay. 

Find out all you need to know about its player numbers and advantages below. 

4. Almost 40 million people have acquired Destiny 2.

(Source: MMO Populations)

How many players does Destiny 2 have? Some would think the number isn’t rising at all since it’s been a while since its release. They would be mistaken, though. 

At the time of writing, 38,733,641 people have at least downloaded the game. Even though not all are active players, 40 million trying the game out at the minimum is still a pretty respectable number. 

5. On average, there are around 735,000 daily players.

(Source: MMO Populations) 

According to MMO Populations, this was the Destiny 2 daily population before January 2022.

The game’s highest peaks were in September 2021 with an average of 1,36 million. The number decreased in the following months, though not too drastically. 

We can definitely say Destiny 2 is aging like a fine wine… for now.

6. Since Bungie went independent, the Destiny 2 player count has increased by 20 million.

(Source: PCGamesN) 

Bungie separated from Activision in early 2019, a year and a half after the game’s release. Since then, 20 million new players have hopped in to see what the hype was all about.

With its almost 40 million players overall, it’s safe to say the Destiny 2 2022 player count is still rising, albeit a bit more slowly. Bungie’s independence is just a contributing factor here, though.

7. On July 1, 2020, 728,000 out of all 1.18 million players played PvP.

(Source: IGN) 

Like the Destiny 2 player count wasn’t already huge… 

It went even higher in July 2020 when a staggering 728,000 people took part in PvP (player vs player). Twice more than the people playing either of the Strikes, Gambit, Raids, and Nightfall modes. 

Curiously, nobody seems to be certain about what caused this PvP Destiny 2 playerbase spike. The most common guess is that it’s connected to the new season’s start and the infamous Destiny event “Iron Banner.”

8. 15% of all players participated in the July 2020 Iron Banner.

(Source: IGN) 

Some people play for fun, others take it far more seriously. Still, taking part in an event of such magnitude is an absolute must for all gamers—hardcore and laidback alike. 

15% of all active Destiny 2 players participated on the last day of the July 2020 Iron Banner edition. Some people just like the rush. All players fought valiantly not just for the best possible loot but for power level as well. 

9. Destiny 2 had 1.2 million concurrent players during its opening weekend.

(Source: Twitter) 

So, when did Destiny 2 get popular? Right away, it seems.

The FPS game was released on September 6, 2017 for PS4 and Xbox One. Just three days later, the number of concurrent players was already up to 1.2 million!

Imagine the potential player numbers if the PC version had gotten released on the same day. Despite its later launch—on October 24, 2017—it was still a great success.

Destiny 2 News

Whether big or small, there’s always something worth mentioning in the Destiny 2 universe. This time around, though, as a major expansion is in the works, we’re in for some big news.

10. The Witch Queen is scheduled for February 22, 2022.

(Source: Dexerto) 

Destiny 2 has had one major expansion every year. They broke tradition in 2021 when none was released, though. Soon this year-and-a-half draught will be over as players are quite impatiently expecting the now-infamous “The Witch Queen.” 

Let’s see if this will further increase the Destiny 2 2022 player count. Too bad it won’t be free, though.

11. Bungie is reworking the game’s economy system prior to The Witch Queen release.

(Source: Bungie) 

You are probably wondering “How do people still play Destiny 2 when it’s so old?” The answer lies in regular updates.

Not only is Bungie still working on Destiny 2, they also listen to their audience. They are now working on removing or changing the blue drops, which most players find rather worthless. 

12. 2021 was one of the most successful years for Destiny 2. 

(Source: Forbes) 

There isn’t any public information about the Destiny 2 revenue. It’s safe to presume, though, it’s quite impressive as Bungie considers 2021 as one of the most successful years for the hit game. 

They have worked very seriously on the game’s lore and system, putting it in a very good state. We must say, it does take a lot of skill to end the year on such a good note without a single major expansion!

Wrap Up

All in all, the game is getting huge updates and is still fun and popular. To be honest, the Destiny 2 player count is reason enough to try it out if you haven’t already. Now go out there and keep the Darkness at bay!

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Nick Galov
Nick Galov

Unaware that life beyond the internet exists, Nick is poking servers and control panels, playing with WordPress add-ons, and helping people get the hosting that suits them.