TheDestinyfranchise has been massively successful since the release of the first game back in 2014, but for almost as long as the series has been around, it has been accompanied by rumors of so-called “DestinyKiller” games. These are titles likeOutriders,Anthem, and evenBorderlands 3, which, in the run-up to each of their respective releases, were each touted as the next big looter shooter that would finally dethroneDestiny 2from its position at the top. Regardless,Destiny 2has managed to weather the storm of some fairly fierce competition and maintains an impressive level of popularity even 4 years out from its release.
WithBungie’s 30th Anniversary Pack updatethat just launch,Destiny 2has spiked from its recent average of around 40,000 active players to well over 100,000 players. For perspective, that putsDestiny 2in the company of games likeHalo Infinite,New World,DOTA 2, andCS: GOat the top of the most played games currently on Steam. In short,Destiny 2is still popular, which may leave fans and detractors alike wondering exactly what happened to the supposed “DestinyKillers”.
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Warframe
It’s almost strange to call Warframe a “DestinyKiller” game since the title actually predates both games in theDestinyfranchise, but a long, arduous road to popularity has meant thatWarframe’s periods of success have more or less coincided withDestiny’s. Still, unlike most games that are drawn into competition with theDestinyfranchise,Warframehas fared incredibly well, mostly owing to Digital Extremes' absurdlive-servicerecord. With each update,Warframecontinues to prove itself capable of pulling in fresh blood while keeping its inveterate player base satisfied.
Oddly enough,Warframeis also the most visually similar toDestiny 2in terms of setting and character design, and it’s even a very grind-heavy game as well, but the progression system is just different enough that it manages to set itself aside from Destiny 2. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two titles actually share their fanbase, and there is a good chunk of players that frequently enjoy bothDestiny 2andWarframe. Since its launch,Warframehas managed a steady growth, and some months even sit at about par with Destiny 2. With its latest planned expansion,The New War, set to release in a week, it’s only primed to continue its upward trajectory.
Outriders
WhileOutridersisn’t necessarily a total failure, it certainly ranks as one of themost disappointing games of 2021, mostly owing to a disastrous launch. In the lead-up to its release,Outriderswas perceived as a potential threat toDestiny 2’s popularity because of their similarities. For what it’s worth, before it was released,Outriderswas probably in the best possible position of any of the “DestinyKillers” to actually get the job done. In February, when theOutridersdemo dropped,Destiny 2’s fanbase was in a fairly precarious state and the game was hemorrhaging players from a lack of meaningful updates and content additions. Unfortunately forOutriders, on the same week that its demo dropped - which could have been the final nail in the coffin forDestiny 2 -Bungie unveiled one of its biggest weekly briefings to date.
This small moment in February gave a taste of things to come, and by the timeOutriderslaunched in April, the battle was already basically over. While the initial hype ofOutridersmeant that it still enjoyed a bit of success upon release, it has since seen that popularity dwindle away significantly. With the recentNew Horizons update,Outridershas managed to pull itself back from the brink of defeat, but it is still miles off ofDestiny 2.
Anthem
Anthemis a very similar story toOutriders. In the time leading up to its release,Anthemwas the subject of huge amounts of hype, and, due to its striking visual similarities and looter shooter gameplay, was constantly compared toDestiny 2. LikeOutriders,Anthemsaw a bit of initial success that quickly evaporated. It had an innovative flying system that still leaves many fans believingAnthemdeserves a second chance, but its repetitive nature and unpolished quality upon release ultimately led to its demise.
Sadly, Bioware initially had plans to completely revamp and redesignAntheminto what it coined “Anthem2.0,” but the project was scrapped, andAnthem2.0 was canceled indefinitely. Unlike the other games on this list,Anthemwill ultimately go down in most gamers' minds as a complete failure, with the cancellation ofAnthem2.0 being remembered as a lack of dedication to its fanbase who had stayed loyal through a shaky release.
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The Division 2
The Division 2probably shares the least withDestiny 2in terms of setting, characters, weaponry, and the like. In place ofDestiny’s epic loreand space-fantasy aesthetic, players are instead dropped into post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C, and forced into realistic encounters. If comparisons were to be made purely on visual grounds, there would be almost none at all, but the looter shooter mechanics and grind-intensive gameplay are what encouraged players to labelThe Division 2as yet another “DestinyKiller.”
Unfortunately,The Divison 2has suffered a fate that is familiar to the other games on this list. Ubisoft has been promisingThe Divison 2players new updates since the start of this year, and just recently announced that it would bedelaying updates forThe Divison 2until 2022. WhileThe Division 2has managed to maintain a decent population - a few thousand concurrent players on most days - it’s likely not long before the aforementioned patch delays and a lack of attention to the game see the last of the loyal players heading for the doors.
Borderlands 3
The comparisons between theBorderlandsfranchise andDestinyare fairly clear. They’re both set in their own unique blend of science and fantasy, and they’re both grind-intensive looter shooters. The main difference is thatBorderlands 3is a more traditional game that has a distinct start and end goal, whereasDestiny 2can be defined as an open-ended MMO. For this reason alone, the two titles manage to capture completely different audiences, withBorderlands 3tending to attract players who enjoy a more typical linear progression and astory-heavy co-op experience.
Borderlands 3 is easily the most successful of any title to be labeled as a “DestinyKiller.” Recently, 2K Games even revealed thatBorderlands 3 is its fastest-selling game yet, surpassing its predecessor,Borderlands 2. It may not garner the sort of concurrent players thatDestiny 2does on Steam, but it has sold over 14 million copies across all consoles, making it a huge success for the company.
Destiny 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
