When a developer sends you 500 Silver just to fill out a survey, you know things are serious. Bungie is facing the harshest reality check in Destiny 2’s eight-year history, with player counts dropping below the dark days of Curse of Osiris when the studio was reportedly weeks away from shutting the game down. Their response? Ask players directly what it would take to bring them back.
A leaked invite-only survey sent to select Destiny 2 players this week reveals Bungie is considering everything from bringing back Sparrow Racing League to unvaulting entire expansion campaigns like Red War and Forsaken. The survey reads less like a standard feedback form and more like a wishlist of abandoned dreams and fan-favorite features that were previously deemed too expensive or impractical to implement.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s talk about why Bungie is suddenly willing to reconsider ideas they’ve shot down for years. Destiny 2’s daily player count across all platforms has been hovering around 300,000, with some days dipping below that threshold. To put that in perspective, during Curse of Osiris in late 2017, the game was pulling similar numbers, and internal sources claimed Bungie was genuinely worried about the franchise’s survival.
Steam Charts data shows the PC population averaging around 27,000 players in recent months, down from peaks of over 300,000 just two years ago. Since PC represents roughly 20 percent of the total playerbase according to community estimates, that translates to an overall population between 200,000 and 300,000 active players worldwide. For a live service game that requires constant player engagement to justify ongoing development, those numbers are catastrophic.
New player acquisition is happening at a rate of about 4,000-5,000 players per day, but retention is abysmal. Players are trying the game, bouncing off the convoluted onboarding experience, and never coming back. The survey directly addresses this with questions about new player experiences and tutorial systems.
Sparrow Racing League Is Actually On The Table
For years, Bungie has consistently rejected calls to bring back Sparrow Racing League. The official line was always that SRL required too many development resources for the limited engagement it generated. Seeing it explicitly mentioned in an official survey means the calculus has changed. When your core game is bleeding players this badly, suddenly a niche racing mode looks a lot more attractive as a potential retention tool.
SRL was a limited-time event during Destiny 1 that turned the game’s sparrow vehicles into competitive racing machines. Players loved it, streamers created dedicated content around it, and the community has begged for its return ever since. The fact that Bungie is willing to reconsider tells you everything about how desperate the situation has become.
The survey doesn’t just ask if players want SRL back. It specifically frames it as a potential playlist or recurring event, suggesting Bungie has already thought through implementation strategies. They’re not just fishing for ideas, they’re gauging whether investing resources into SRL would actually move the needle on player retention.
The Red War Problem
Unvaulting Red War and Forsaken campaigns is perhaps the most shocking inclusion in the survey, especially given recent court revelations. Just months ago, Bungie admitted in legal filings that the original Red War campaign no longer exists in a playable form, even internally. The code has become completely incompatible with Destiny 2’s evolved technical framework, meaning bringing it back would require rebuilding it from scratch.
That admission came as part of a copyright lawsuit filed by writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau, who claimed Bungie copied his unpublished work for the Red War storyline. Bungie had to rely on fan videos and wiki pages to defend itself in court because they literally cannot access their own campaign anymore. The lawsuit was settled in November 2025, removing at least one legal obstacle to potential Red War content.
Despite these technical challenges, the survey directly asks players if they want old campaigns added back into the Portal system. Either Bungie is seriously considering the massive undertaking of recreating this content, or they’re measuring interest to justify the resource allocation to higher-ups at Sony. Given the player count crisis, rebuilding fan-favorite campaigns might actually be on the table if the survey shows overwhelming demand.
NPC Sidekicks and Social Features
One of the more unusual features mentioned is NPC sidekicks you can equip and bring into combat. This would fundamentally change how Destiny 2 plays, especially for solo players who currently tackle difficult content alone or struggle to find fireteams. Imagine running strikes or even dungeons with an AI companion providing support fire, revives, or ability synergy.
The survey also asks about clan progression systems, in-game trophy rooms to show off achievements, and social features that would make Destiny 2 feel more like a living community hub. A trophy room where you could display exotic collections, raid completions, and seals would give hardcore players something to work toward beyond just equipping gear.
Clan upgrades and progression systems have been requested for years. Currently, clans exist mostly as glorified friends lists with minimal mechanical impact on gameplay. Giving clans actual progression, unlockable perks, or cosmetic upgrades would incentivize community building and give players social reasons to log in beyond just grinding for loot.
New Subclass Abilities and Power Systems
The survey gauges interest in new Strand and Stasis subclass abilities, which fans have been requesting since those darkness subclasses launched. Currently, light subclasses received full 3.0 reworks while darkness subclasses remain more limited in customization options. Expanding Strand and Stasis to match the flexibility of Solar, Arc, and Void builds would create new theorycrafting opportunities.
More controversially, Bungie asks about Power Prestiging, an opt-in system where players could voluntarily reset their Power level for extra rewards or prestige cosmetics. This comes after Edge of Fate already reset everyone’s Power to 10, causing months of community complaints about seasonal Power grinds feeling meaningless. The fact that Bungie is still exploring voluntary resets suggests they’re trying to find ways to make Power feel rewarding rather than tedious.
PvP and Gambit Get Attention
The Crucible and Gambit sections of the survey reveal Bungie knows these modes need serious help. Questions include interest in completely new PvP modes like Combined Arms, which was a vehicle-focused mode from Destiny 1. They’re also asking about Gambit updates, either as permanent mode changes or time-limited events.
Gambit has been neglected for years, receiving minimal updates while the community repeatedly points out balance issues and stale gameplay. The fact that Bungie is asking whether players want Gambit as a featured playlist or limited-time event suggests they might be considering scaling back its prominence rather than investing in a full overhaul.
For PvP, the survey mentions featured Crucible playlists, competitive PvE events, and daily or weekly rotators. These quality-of-life improvements could bring some variety to ritual content without requiring entirely new game modes. Legacy content rotators for raids and old activities would also help fill the current gaps in replayable content.
Destiny Rising Influences
One of the more interesting questions asks players what features from Destiny: Rising they’d like to see imported into Destiny 2. Rising is the mobile spinoff developed by NetEase, and while it shares DNA with the main game, it includes systems and mechanics that don’t exist in Destiny 2. This question suggests Bungie is open to borrowing good ideas from the mobile version if players show interest.
The survey also includes basic quality-of-life questions about expanded Vault space, which Bungie has already confirmed for the upcoming Renegades expansion. In-game glossaries, tutorial libraries, and improved new player onboarding all get mentioned as potential additions. These aren’t flashy features, but they address real pain points that cause new players to quit before they ever see endgame content.
What This Survey Really Means
Surveys are not promises. Game developers throw ideas at the wall constantly to measure community interest. But the specificity here tells a story. Bungie isn’t asking generic questions like do you enjoy raids. They’re asking do you want Sparrow Racing League and the Red War campaign back. These are concrete, specific features that would require massive resource investments.
The timing matters too. Bungie is preparing to release a multi-year roadmap for Destiny 2 in 2026, and these survey responses will likely inform what gets prioritized. If unvaulting campaigns shows overwhelming interest, Sony might greenlight the resources needed to rebuild that content. If Sparrow Racing League polling shows strong support, it could become a featured seasonal activity.
This survey also reflects a broader shift in Bungie’s approach. For years, the studio operated with a this is what we think is best attitude toward game design. Player feedback was considered, but Bungie maintained strong creative control over direction. Surveys like this one suggest a more collaborative, data-driven approach where community input directly shapes development priorities.
The Road Ahead
Destiny 2 sits at a crossroads. Player count continues declining, major expansions like The Final Shape failed to create lasting engagement, and the seasonal content model feels exhausted after years of repetition. Bungie needs to do something dramatic to reverse the trend, and this survey represents them asking the community what that something should be.
Whether these features actually materialize depends on survey results, available resources, and Sony’s willingness to invest in a struggling live service game. But the fact that previously rejected ideas like Sparrow Racing League are back on the table shows Bungie understands the severity of the situation. When you’re pulling numbers lower than Curse of Osiris, everything is worth reconsidering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Bungie sending out surveys to Destiny 2 players?
Destiny 2 is experiencing its lowest player count in the game’s eight-year history, with daily populations falling below 300,000 across all platforms. This is lower than Curse of Osiris levels when Bungie reportedly feared shutting the game down. The survey gauges interest in potential features that could bring players back and inform the upcoming multi-year roadmap.
What is Sparrow Racing League and why does it matter?
Sparrow Racing League was a limited-time competitive racing mode from Destiny 1 where players raced on sparrow vehicles. Fans have requested its return for years, but Bungie consistently said it required too many resources for the engagement it generated. Its inclusion in the survey suggests Bungie is reconsidering that position due to the current player retention crisis.
Can Bungie actually bring back the Red War campaign?
It’s complicated. Bungie admitted in recent court filings that Red War no longer exists in a playable form, even internally. The code is incompatible with Destiny 2’s current technical framework and would need to be completely rebuilt from scratch. However, the recent settlement of the copyright lawsuit removes one legal obstacle, and the survey’s inclusion suggests it might be under serious consideration despite the technical challenges.
What are NPC sidekicks in Destiny 2?
NPC sidekicks would be AI companions players could equip and bring into combat. This feature doesn’t currently exist in Destiny 2 but is being gauged in the survey. It would fundamentally change solo play by giving players computer-controlled allies for support, making difficult content more accessible without requiring full fireteams.
How low are Destiny 2 player counts right now?
Steam Charts shows PC averaging around 27,000 concurrent players recently, down from peaks over 300,000 two years ago. Total cross-platform daily population hovers between 200,000 and 300,000 players, with some days dipping below that threshold. These are the lowest numbers since Curse of Osiris in late 2017, when the game was reportedly weeks from shutdown.
Will Bungie actually implement these surveyed features?
Not necessarily. Surveys measure community interest to inform development priorities, but they’re not commitments. However, the specificity of questions about Sparrow Racing League, Red War, and NPC sidekicks suggests these aren’t random ideas but features Bungie has seriously discussed internally. Implementation depends on survey results and resource allocation from Sony.
What is the Portal system mentioned in the survey?
The Portal is Destiny 2’s rotating content system introduced with Edge of Fate. It cycles older activities, missions, and potentially campaigns back into the game on a regular schedule. The survey asks if players want vaulted campaigns like Red War added to the Portal rotation, making them accessible without permanent unvaulting.
When will we see Bungie’s multi-year roadmap?
Bungie has stated they plan to release a comprehensive multi-year roadmap for Destiny 2 in 2026. This survey likely feeds into that roadmap planning, helping the studio prioritize which features and content types to develop based on community interest and potential impact on player retention.
Final Thoughts
Destiny 2 has survived numerous crises over its eight-year lifespan. Content droughts, controversial expansions, sunsetting disasters, and technical mishaps have all been weathered before. But this feels different. The combination of all-time low player counts, player exhaustion with the seasonal model, and increasingly vocal frustration with core systems creates a perfect storm.
This survey represents Bungie acknowledging they don’t have all the answers and need community input to chart the path forward. Whether that leads to meaningful change or just becomes another example of developers asking questions without implementing solutions remains to be seen. But for a studio that’s historically been protective of its creative vision, asking players what would bring them back is itself a significant shift. The question now is whether Bungie has the resources and commitment to act on whatever answers they receive.