Destiny 2’s Edge of Fate Launches with One of the Lowest Player Counts in Franchise History

Bungie expected Edge of Fate to set the stage for a new and bold direction in Destiny 2. That might end up being the opposite of what's happening

This expansion starts the “Year of Prophecy” after ending the long Light and Darkness saga and adds new locations, characters, and gameplay features.

For many players, this launch feels less like a fresh start and more like something is slipping through their fingers.

Is The Edge of Fate The Worst Destiny 2 Launch?

On Steam, Edge of Fate hit a peak of only 99,193 concurrent players on launch day, which was the smallest expansion debut since Destiny 2 went free-to-play in 2019.

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To put it in perspective, earlier expansions such as The Final Shape and Lightfall had over 300,000 players on their first day. The last smallest expansion launch, Beyond Light, still attracted over 240,000 players playing simultaneously.

Edge of Fate didn’t even crack six digits. It’s been pointed out that these figures cover Steam but leave out consoles. Steam’s historical patterns tend to parallel the franchise’s overall progress.

The sharp drop points to something deeper, such as franchise fatigue, content skepticism, or simply a lack of interest following the saga’s emotional conclusion.

Did The Final Shape Signal the Right Time to Leave?

Since the story in The Final Shape is wrapped up, a lot of players view it as a natural endpoint, which makes sense.

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Community reactions show that Edge of Fate doesn’t give players a good reason to stay. The player count is not the only problem, because the overall feeling is different. Some fans admitted they didn’t even realize the expansion had launched until streamers began playing it.

The expansion’s layout hasn’t really done anything to fix the apathy either. The expansion Edge of Fate unlocks a new location, Kepler, where secrets and Metroidvania-style progression await. The concept sounds good in theory, but players find it annoying and dull to actually use.

The Matterspark is an Arc-powered rolling device used to explore tight spaces and solve puzzles, but many people criticize it for being overused, hard to control, and sometimes causing motion sickness. It strikes as gimmicky, not empowering.

Why Is the Gameplay Loop Driving People Away?

The expansion tries to make some mechanics easier, but ends up causing more frustration.

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The Portal system was created to help streamline how activities are selected and progress is tracked. It’s been called awkward, restrictive, and without heart instead.

Activities are now gated behind rotating schedules, and PvP fans have pointed out that core Crucible modes are buried or shuffled away. Even worse, some fan-favorite features were quietly taken out or downplayed.

Guardian Ranks are easier to level now, which makes them feel pointless. The grind for gear is steeper than ever, especially with stat rebalances and new power thresholds making older weapons less viable in endgame content.

Veterans who dedicated years to perfecting their builds now have to begin from scratch once more. The Tower vendors aren’t very useful anymore. Many now serve only as storage for outdated content that no longer matters.

Meanwhile, players are annoyed because certain UI components and basic options like item effect previews were removed. The visual presentation may be fresh, but functionally, it's a step backward.

Are Players Getting Enough Content for the Price?

Edge of Fate gives less value than past expansions with no new strikes, no new Crucible maps, and a smaller, repetitive campaign with drawn-out, simple objectives.

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Even fans who enjoy the new lore and characters have admitted that the expansion feels padded out. The new raid Desert Perpetual is coming, and some still hope it will improve things, but that hope is fading.

The online community believes Edge of Fate is struggling and may be validating fears about where Bungie is headed. Everyone’s watching Renegades, the next expansion set for December 2025.

The Star Wars theme and promise of a cinematic approach could revive what the community feels is lost. But with layoffs, player burnout, and controversy over recent updates, Bungie’s room for mistakes is tighter than ever.

If Edge of Fate is what sets the tone for the Year of Prophecy, many are now wondering: What’s the prophecy, really? And who’s left to see it fulfilled?

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