Since its release on July 15, Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate has recorded surprisingly low player numbers on Steam, especially when compared to previous expansions in the franchise. This new chapter, which kicks off the Year of Prophecy, seems to be struggling to retain the player base that once thrived during The Final Shape era.

The expansion introduces players to Kepler, a mysterious new destination on the fringes of the solar system, along with a fresh narrative involving the enigmatic Nine, a new character named Lodi, and the return of Orin the Lost (formerly the Emissary of the Nine). Despite these additions, many players appear hesitant to dive into this new saga.

According to SteamDB data reported by TheGamer, The Edge of Fate peaked at just 99,193 concurrent players on launch day - a stark contrast to The Final Shape's 314,000 peak in June 2024. This makes it one of the weakest performing expansions in Destiny 2 history, with numbers continuing to decline to around 89,000 players by July 16.

When compared to previous successful expansions like The Witch Queen (290,000 players) and Beyond Light (240,000 players), The Edge of Fate is currently attracting only about one-third of the player base that these earlier expansions enjoyed at launch.

Several factors may be contributing to this underwhelming performance. Player fatigue appears to be a significant issue, compounded by ongoing challenges at Bungie. However, there's still potential for recovery as Destiny 2 prepares for future content drops during the Year of Prophecy.

The next major expansion, Destiny 2: Renegades, scheduled for December 2025 and inspired by Star Wars aesthetics, could potentially reinvigorate the player base. Whether this will be enough to restore Destiny 2 to its former popularity remains to be seen.