ARC Raiders has become a surprise hit in 2024, surpassing Helldivers 2's peak player count on Steam with 462,488 concurrent players, despite being an independent new IP. Its success highlights a notable achievement for Embark Studios, especially compared to other recent multiplayer titles, and sets a promising stage for future updates and growth.
Destiny 2's Steam player count is rapidly declining, nearing 15,000 peak concurrents, due to content fatigue and reliance on old content, with the upcoming 'Renegades' expansion unlikely to reverse the trend. The game is experiencing its lowest popularity levels, risking further decline before the next expansion in December.
Monster Hunter Wilds has experienced a dramatic decline in player count and negative reviews four months after launch, primarily due to poor PC performance and lack of engaging endgame content, leading to a significant drop in popularity and user satisfaction.
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered has underperformed as a PS5 exclusive in 2024, ranking 10th out of 13 in player count among the year's exclusives. Despite a $10 upgrade fee for existing owners, it saw 91.8% fewer players than The Last of Us Part II Remastered. This suggests a growing player fatigue with Sony's strategy of remastering PS4 games for PS5, as players are less inclined to pay for minor graphical improvements without new content.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has announced it will stop its weekly developer updates due to low player engagement and delays in content releases. The game, which has seen a significant drop in player numbers since launch, will now only release updates when there is major news to share. This change has raised concerns about the game's future and the commitment of Rocksteady to its ongoing development.
Destiny 2's mid-season content drop, Into the Light, has surpassed the player count of previous launches on Steam, drawing in 134,000 players. The free Onslaught activity and its rewards, along with a successful reveal stream, have contributed to its popularity, despite being developed on a short timetable and amidst internal challenges at Bungie.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a live service game, is now on sale for 40% off on Steam, priced at $42 down from $70, a month after its release. The game's initial high price may have contributed to its low player count, with less than 1,000 players on Steam. Despite the sale, the game still faces issues such as game-breaking bugs, unaddressed balance and quality of life problems, and uncertainty about the completion of its planned live content. The game's revenue model relies on cosmetic sales, similar to Marvel's Avengers, and its future success remains uncertain, especially on PC.
Despite the tremendous success of Helldivers 2, the game has been plagued by overloaded servers, resulting in disconnects, crashes, and login errors for many players. The CEO of Arrowhead has acknowledged the issues and the steps being taken to address them, but the technical issues have led to mass frustration and a decline in the game's user score on Steam. Despite the ongoing server and login problems, Helldivers 2 has seen a record-breaking player count, becoming the most played game on Steam and top PS game in the US, indicating strong demand despite the issues.
Palworld, a survival game, experienced a significant drop of 1.3 million concurrent players on Steam within two weeks of its launch, following an initial peak of 2.1 million players. Despite the decline, the game still maintains a substantial active player count. The drop-off is notable in comparison to other popular games like PUBG, which took longer to lose a similar number of players. Palworld's future success will depend on continued support from its developers and the reception of upcoming updates and early access roadmap.
Destiny 2 has hit a new low in peak playercount on Steam, with an average of 39,011 players and peak of 58,769 in January 2024, raising concerns about the game's future. Bungie's financial struggles, leadership problems, and the upcoming departure of the game director add to the worries. The company missed revenue targets by 45% and faces the possibility of collapse if things don't improve, even after being acquired by Sony. With an extended season and no major content releases, playercounts are expected to continue declining, posing a significant challenge for the upcoming expansion, The Final Shape.
Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has received a Metascore of 62 and has worryingly low concurrent playercounts on Steam, topping out at 13,459 players. Despite positive user reviews, the game's playerbase is significantly lower than comparable titles, raising concerns about its future success as a live service looter shooter. The game's console playerbase needs to be substantially higher, and post-launch content must be compelling to attract more players and turn the game's fortunes around.
Despite claims of Starfield's player numbers plummeting, the game has remained in the top 10 most played games on Xbox since its launch, ahead of popular titles like Rocket League and Overwatch. While Steam numbers have declined, it's important to consider that Starfield is also available on PC Game Pass, which may have impacted Steam player counts. The lack of post-launch support and content updates may have contributed to a decline in player engagement, but the release of future expansions and mod support in 2024 could potentially extend the game's lifespan. Overall, while Starfield may not reach the same level of success as Skyrim, it has still achieved its player count goals.
Destiny 2 has reached a new playercount low, with an average of 34,816 players and a peak of 59,076 in the last 30 days, marking the lowest numbers since the game's release on Steam. This decline is significant considering the game's previous high of 316,651 players at launch just eight months ago. The current state of Bungie, with a 45% revenue miss for the year and potential jeopardy for the company, adds to the concern. Additionally, upcoming delays and the culmination of a decade of storylines in the expansion "The Final Shape" may further contribute to player drop-off. The long-term health of the game remains uncertain, and a solution to reverse these declines is needed.
Fortnite has experienced its highest playercount in years, reaching 5.8 million concurrent players, after launching an OG version of the game's original map and reintroducing classic zones and weapons. This resurgence comes at a challenging time for Epic Games, which recently laid off employees due to Fortnite's declining profitability. However, this nostalgic return is expected to be temporary, as the game will continue to progress into Chapter 5 after a month. While this move has generated excitement, it may only serve as a band-aid solution for Fortnite's larger underlying issues.
The player count for Cyberpunk 2077 has spiked by 500-650% on Steam, reaching 151,000 concurrent players in the last 24 hours, even before the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC. The 2.0 update has already introduced new features such as skill trees, cyberware, and vehicle combat systems. Despite the game's troubled launch, these numbers indicate a redemption for Cyberpunk 2077, and CDPR has confirmed plans for a sequel in the future.