Destiny 2 Hits Record Low Player Count, Raising Further Questions Aboutโข SonyS Bungie Acquisition
Seattle, WA – โDestiny 2 recently recorded its lowest concurrent player count on Steam since tracking began, hitting โa peak of just 98,211 players, according to data from โSteamDB. This decline โin โplayer numbers is fueling renewed scrutiny of Sony’s $3.6 billion โขacquisition of โBungie in 2022.
The โคdwindling player โขbase signals a meaningful shift โคfor the once-dominant looter-shooter,prompting discussion about the future ofโ the franchise and the performance โof Bungie under Sony’s ownership.While steam figures don’t represent the entiretyโฃ of Destiny 2’s player base-the game is also available on PlayStation consoles and Xbox-they are widely considered aโ strong indicator of overall popularity. โ
Many industry observers and players haveโข suggested Bungie should have begun winding down destiny 2’s โgrowth cycle earlier, particularly in light of criticisms surrounding theโ studio’s seasonal contentโฃ plans. Calls for a Destiny 3 have grown, but the โfeasibility of such a large-scale project is increasingly doubted given Bungie’s current challenges.
The situation is further โขintricateโ byโ the troubled development of โBungie’s other โmajor project, Marathon. Originally announced as a revival of the classic Mac shooter, Marathon is now preparingโ for a closed technical test after facing indefinite delays and significant controversy. The game’s success is seen as โขcrucial for restoringโข public confidence in Bungie.
The acquisition, onceโ hailed as a major win for Sony, is now facing increased โขquestioning as Bungieโฃ struggles to maintain momentum with its flagship title and navigate the launch of a new IP.
