Destiny 2 player numbers climb ahead of Final Shape release date

After the reported underperformance of Lightfall and with the potential for a takeover from owners Sony that would cost the studio its independence, the stakes are high for Bungie right now.

Destiny 2 is approaching The Final Shape, the expansion intended to act as a bookend to the last decade of storytelling, but so far the signs are good that Bungie is either drawing in new players, or bringing back lapsed ones, as the game's player base is picking up.

Destiny's player count is growing

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According to Steamcharts, Destiny 2 gained an additional 18.57% of players in May compared to April, while April saw a 52.25% increase in March.

That translates to almost twice the player count in May as the game had in March. Keep in mind these are only Steam numbers, so there's a good chance the game has seen a similar increase on PlayStation, Xbox, and the Epic Games Store.

The game is also regularly in Steam's Top 10 most-played games, despite the current season, Season of the Wish, starting in November of 2023.

Into The Light arrived a few weeks ago, leading to a huge jump in the player count by offering a great chance for players to jump back in and grab weapons ahead of The Final Shape.

Bungie also made the last few expansions free on all platforms, meaning players can feasibly play through the last few years of content without spending a penny.

What's the big deal with The Final Shape?

The Final Shape is a big deal for Destiny fans, and that may be enough to pull many lapsed players back. It's intended to close out the storyline that began with the first game in 2014 which pit the forces of the Light against the Darkness.

Players will travel inside The Traveler, the big beach ball that gives Guardians their powers, and finally confront The Witness, first revealed as the main antagonist at the end of 2022's Witch Queen expansion.