Renegades · Season 28: Lawless
Is Destiny 2 PvP Dead?
I really hope not. Numbers are not looking good, but it isn't over yet.
As of March 23, 2026, SteamCharts shows Destiny 2 at roughly 7,031 concurrent players at the snapshot, 10,196 24-hour peak, and about 7,476 average over the last 30 days. That is far below its historical highs (all-time peak ~316k on Steam), and also below its own recent expansion spikes. So if we’re judging by Steam momentum alone, the game is not “dead,” but it is definitely not in a growth phase either.
Why “just replace Destiny PvP” is harder than it sounds
People often underestimate how specific Destiny’s PvP formula is:
- The signature Bungie gunplay + abilities + movement are blended in a way few games match. Bungie magic at work along with the variety of subclass abilities and exotic armor and weapons, make the game stand out in a PvP sandbox.
- Buildcraft matters (subclass, exotic, stat tuning, weapon perks), even in casual playlists. Throw in all of the many different perks, and you have so many ways to play into a style that you want to build.
- The PvE-to-PvP loot loop is one of the most satisfying game loops if you play into it. Nothing like getting killed by a weapon in PvP, wondering what it was, and then working towards getting that same gun to use for yourself.
That means even strong alternatives may fill only part of the Destiny experience.
Possible replacements
The tried and true:
- Counter-Strike 2 (massive Steam concurrency, highly stable ecosystem).
If you want movement + abilities:
- Apex Legends (still very healthy Steam numbers in 2026).
If you want something more recent:
- THE FINALS (active, but much smaller and more volatile population than Apex/CS2).
If you want that Bungie shooting feel:
- Halo Infinite (playable and fun in bursts, but relatively low Steam population now).
- Marathon (The most recent of Bungie's shooters but it is an extraction shooter)
The harsh reality. There really isn't any PvP shooter out there that feels the way Destiny 2 does. The depth of the sandbox, with all of the weapon types, perks, armor, abilities and buildcrafting, there is literally nothing like it.
Marathon is a good game in its own right, but plays very different than Destiny 2 in terms of PvP. It just isn't going to replace the PvP style and flow that Destiny 2 does so well. It is just a very different game with very little in common except maybe some of the gunplay.
Where do we go from here?
I personally have tried many games trying to fill that Destiny shaped void whenever D2 gets into these ruts. Games listed above have some great qualities but just don't scratch that itch that Destiny 2 scratches so well.
Truth is, the game is still alive, and can still be enjoyed. The population is low but depending on where you live in the world, you can still find great matches. One thing is to look into having some goals and track your progress as a player to help find long term goals to work towards in Destiny 2 PvP.
That's part of the reason why I created CrucibleRecon.com . If you go load your player in and look at the Motivation Page page, you can see some goals you can work towards and keep track of your improving stats. Look to being a master at one particular weapon. Maybe you love a particular gun such as Trespasser {{exotic-weapon:trespasser}}, you can work towards being one of the top players using that gun and check in the weapon leaderboards