JoinGG

Measured, not estimated

How many people still play Half-Life 2: Deathmatch?

114 players are on the 125 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers JoinGG is reaching right now, of 146 listed.

Across the 117 hours covered well enough to compare, that count has run between 81 and 371.

Every figure on this page was measured by JoinGG. We ask all 146 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers listed here every hour, over Valve's A2S status query (the same request the in-game server browser makes), and write down what each one answers. Nothing is scraped from another site, modelled, or extrapolated to servers we do not list — which is also the limit of it: these are the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers on JoinGG, so read the counts as a large sample of public community servers rather than as a census of the game.

Last sweep . This page rebuilds every five minutes.

114
Players connected

reported by the servers themselves

125
Servers answering

21 listed but silent

146
Servers listed

every one queried directly

4.5%
Slots used

of 2,544 slots those servers reported

These figures rest on 21,121 status checks across 169 measured hours, of which 117 cover enough of the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch list to compare with the others. Readings are kept for 7 days, so this page gets deeper as they accumulate rather than longer. By players on listed servers, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is the 15th busiest of the 32 games JoinGG measures.

Players on Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers, hour by hour

21,121 status checks · 169 hours measured

Mon 06:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 07:00 UTC — 135 players on 146 serversMon 08:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 09:00 UTC — 131 players on 146 serversMon 10:00 UTC — 129 players on 146 serversMon 11:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 12:00 UTC — 127 players on 146 serversMon 13:00 UTC — 148 players on 146 serversMon 14:00 UTC — 214 players on 146 serversMon 15:00 UTC — 138 players on 146 serversMon 16:00 UTC — 177 players on 146 serversMon 17:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 18:00 UTC — 160 players on 146 serversMon 19:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 20:00 UTC — 138 players on 146 serversMon 21:00 UTC — 163 players on 146 serversMon 22:00 UTC — 128 players on 146 serversMon 23:00 UTC — 154 players on 146 serversTue 00:00 UTC — 147 players on 146 serversTue 01:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 02:00 UTC — 156 players on 146 serversTue 03:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 04:00 UTC — 153 players on 146 serversTue 05:00 UTC — 124 players on 146 serversTue 06:00 UTC — 131 players on 146 serversTue 07:00 UTC — 143 players on 146 serversTue 08:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 09:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 10:00 UTC — 133 players on 146 serversTue 11:00 UTC — 107 players on 146 serversTue 12:00 UTC — 136 players on 146 serversTue 13:00 UTC — 140 players on 146 serversTue 14:00 UTC — 140 players on 145 serversTue 15:00 UTC — only 52 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 16:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 17:00 UTC — 154 players on 146 serversTue 18:00 UTC — 178 players on 146 serversTue 19:00 UTC — 162 players on 146 serversTue 20:00 UTC — 162 players on 146 serversTue 21:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableTue 22:00 UTC — 169 players on 146 serversTue 23:00 UTC — only 131 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 00:00 UTC — only 110 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 01:00 UTC — 150 players on 146 serversWed 02:00 UTC — 117 players on 146 serversWed 03:00 UTC — 151 players on 146 serversWed 04:00 UTC — 142 players on 146 serversWed 05:00 UTC — 126 players on 146 serversWed 06:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 07:00 UTC — 135 players on 146 serversWed 08:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 09:00 UTC — 135 players on 146 serversWed 10:00 UTC — 131 players on 146 serversWed 11:00 UTC — 145 players on 146 serversWed 12:00 UTC — 126 players on 146 serversWed 13:00 UTC — 126 players on 146 serversWed 14:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 15:00 UTC — 141 players on 146 serversWed 16:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 17:00 UTC — 155 players on 146 serversWed 18:00 UTC — 173 players on 146 serversWed 19:00 UTC — 221 players on 146 serversWed 20:00 UTC — 159 players on 146 serversWed 21:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableWed 22:00 UTC — 158 players on 146 serversWed 23:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 00:00 UTC — 151 players on 146 serversThu 01:00 UTC — 150 players on 146 serversThu 02:00 UTC — 137 players on 146 serversThu 03:00 UTC — 144 players on 146 serversThu 04:00 UTC — 153 players on 146 serversThu 05:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 06:00 UTC — 130 players on 146 serversThu 07:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 08:00 UTC — 127 players on 146 serversThu 09:00 UTC — 132 players on 146 serversThu 10:00 UTC — 136 players on 146 serversThu 11:00 UTC — 127 players on 146 serversThu 12:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 13:00 UTC — 150 players on 146 serversThu 14:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 15:00 UTC — 140 players on 146 serversThu 16:00 UTC — 149 players on 146 serversThu 17:00 UTC — 161 players on 146 serversThu 18:00 UTC — 182 players on 146 serversThu 19:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 20:00 UTC — 168 players on 146 serversThu 21:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableThu 22:00 UTC — 156 players on 146 serversThu 23:00 UTC — 126 players on 146 serversFri 00:00 UTC — 141 players on 146 serversFri 01:00 UTC — 136 players on 146 serversFri 02:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 03:00 UTC — 117 players on 146 serversFri 04:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 05:00 UTC — 118 players on 146 serversFri 06:00 UTC — 125 players on 146 serversFri 07:00 UTC — 132 players on 146 serversFri 08:00 UTC — 131 players on 146 serversFri 09:00 UTC — 135 players on 146 serversFri 10:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 11:00 UTC — only 95 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 12:00 UTC — 144 players on 146 serversFri 13:00 UTC — 156 players on 146 serversFri 14:00 UTC — 134 players on 146 serversFri 15:00 UTC — 152 players on 146 serversFri 16:00 UTC — only 51 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 17:00 UTC — only 118 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 18:00 UTC — 147 players on 146 serversFri 19:00 UTC — 165 players on 146 serversFri 20:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 21:00 UTC — only 123 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableFri 22:00 UTC — 167 players on 146 serversFri 23:00 UTC — 154 players on 146 serversSat 00:00 UTC — 155 players on 146 serversSat 01:00 UTC — 132 players on 146 serversSat 02:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 03:00 UTC — 286 players on 146 serversSat 04:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 05:00 UTC — 85 players on 144 serversSat 06:00 UTC — 292 players on 146 serversSat 07:00 UTC — 136 players on 146 serversSat 08:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 09:00 UTC — 138 players on 146 serversSat 10:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 11:00 UTC — 150 players on 146 serversSat 12:00 UTC — 97 players on 144 serversSat 13:00 UTC — 155 players on 146 serversSat 14:00 UTC — 160 players on 139 serversSat 15:00 UTC — only 30 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 16:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 17:00 UTC — 179 players on 146 serversSat 18:00 UTC — 141 players on 144 serversSat 19:00 UTC — 371 players on 146 serversSat 20:00 UTC — 203 players on 146 serversSat 21:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 22:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSat 23:00 UTC — 153 players on 146 serversSun 00:00 UTC — 124 players on 144 serversSun 01:00 UTC — 168 players on 146 serversSun 02:00 UTC — 153 players on 146 serversSun 03:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 04:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 05:00 UTC — 148 players on 146 serversSun 06:00 UTC — 81 players on 144 serversSun 07:00 UTC — 123 players on 146 serversSun 08:00 UTC — 125 players on 146 serversSun 09:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 10:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 11:00 UTC — 145 players on 146 serversSun 12:00 UTC — 95 players on 144 serversSun 13:00 UTC — 168 players on 146 serversSun 14:00 UTC — 165 players on 146 serversSun 15:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 16:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 17:00 UTC — 197 players on 146 serversSun 18:00 UTC — 188 players on 146 serversSun 19:00 UTC — 210 players on 146 serversSun 20:00 UTC — 186 players on 146 serversSun 21:00 UTC — 116 players on 144 serversSun 22:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableSun 23:00 UTC — 157 players on 146 serversMon 00:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 01:00 UTC — 144 players on 146 serversMon 02:00 UTC — 141 players on 146 serversMon 03:00 UTC — 94 players on 144 serversMon 04:00 UTC — 124 players on 146 serversMon 05:00 UTC — only 23 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparableMon 06:00 UTC — only 125 of 146 servers were reached this hour, so its total is not comparable
Mon 06:00 UTCMon 06:00 UTC
Busiest hour measured
371 at Sat 19:00 UTC
Quietest hour measured
81 at Sun 06:00 UTC
Latest sweep
124 players
Hours plotted
117 of 169

52 hours are marked but not plotted. The poller reached under 90% of the list in those hours, so the totals are low because fewer servers were asked — not because fewer people were playing. Drawing them on the same line would invent a drop.

The other player count

114
Players here

on the 125 servers JoinGG reached

69
In game (Valve)

everyone running it anywhere, per Steam

These two count different things

Players here is ours: people connected to the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers JoinGG lists, counted by asking each server. In game (Valve) is Steam's live count of everyone running Half-Life 2: Deathmatch anywhere — official matchmaking, single-player, community servers and idle menus included. Neither is a subset of the other that we can compute: our list is not every community server in existence, and Valve's total is not limited to multiplayer. So both are printed and neither is divided by the other.

Valve's figure comes from the Steam Web API and is cached for an hour, so it can lag ours by up to that much.

Our count is the bigger number here

We can see more players on the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers we list (114) than Valve reports for the entire game (69). That is not a mistake in either figure. Server queries count bots as players, because the protocol reports them as players — a bot-filled rotation looks busy to us. And Valve counts Steam clients, while a large share of the surviving population on the oldest GoldSrc titles plays on non-Steam builds, so those players are on the servers we query and invisible to Steam. Both effects push the same way, and on a twenty-five-year-old game they push hard enough to cross over.

Where those players are right now

The Half-Life 2: Deathmatch listings with the most people on them at the last sweep. Every figure in the row is what that server answered — the ping is our round trip to it, not yours, so read it as a rough measure of where the box is rather than of what you will get.

The Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers listed on JoinGG with the most players on them at the last status query, with the player count, map and round trip each one reported.
ServerMapPlayersPingWhere
 [EU] Fast Path Community | #HL2Mdm_crossfire_final30 / 6411 msFrance 🇫🇷
Chaos Crew Roleplayrp_midtown_v310 / 100185 msUnited States 🇺🇸
==> xLauz Place <== [ FastDL | Secrets | Anti-Camp | Stats ]dm_snipelaw_v128_beta8 / 20317 msUnited States 🇺🇸
Team Fortresspl_goldrush8 / 32272 msUnited States 🇺🇸
West Coast Canadian ~ Updated Aug 25 (Timeleft 17:53)dm_hellrock_r18 / 24368 msCanada 🇨🇦
B_R_A_N_D__N_E_W__F_O_R__1_9_7_9" ~ ADULT ONLY (Timeleft 29:dm_raven_holm_remake6 / 24372 msCanada 🇨🇦
Fusionhead Jazz Club - S1: HL2DM Hi-Kill/Lo-Grav Fast-DLte_cold_blood6 / 27327 msUnited States 🇺🇸
=Team FoxTare= Europadm_overwatch4 / 1625 msGermany 🇩🇪
HoD Servers Simply the Best Updateddm_jags_rat_xmas4 / 3091 msUnited Kingdom 🇬🇧
Lokis School of Combatdm_porno_johnsons_house_jerk4 / 16215 msUnited States 🇺🇸
All 146 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers

What they are actually playing

The count above is people on servers, and servers run modes. These are taken from what the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers report they are running, not from what their names say.

Sandbox6Roleplay4Control Points2Capture the Flag2Deathrun1Jailbreak1Zombie1

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch player counts — the questions

Is Half-Life 2: Deathmatch still alive in 2026?
Yes, and this is the measurement rather than an opinion. 114 players are on the 125 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers JoinGG is reaching right now, of 146 listed. Across the 117 hours covered well enough to compare, that count has run between 81 and 371. Every one of those numbers came from asking the servers themselves.
When is Half-Life 2: Deathmatch busiest?
Around 19:00 UTC. Averaged over 5 days of readings, that hour carries about 226 players across the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers listed here.
How many Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers are there?
146 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers are listed on JoinGG, and 125 of them answered the last status query. The other 21 stayed silent, which is recorded as silent rather than as empty — a server that does not answer and a server with nobody on it are different facts and we only measured one of them.
Why is this different from Steam's Half-Life 2: Deathmatch player count?
They measure different populations. Steam counts everybody running Half-Life 2: Deathmatch anywhere right now — official matchmaking, single-player, community servers and idle menus — and reports 69. We count people connected to the 125 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers we reached, which is 114. Neither figure is a subset of the other that we can compute, so both are printed and neither is divided by the other.
How is this counted?
Every figure on this page was measured by JoinGG. We ask all 146 Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers listed here every hour, over Valve's A2S status query (the same request the in-game server browser makes), and write down what each one answers. Nothing is scraped from another site, modelled, or extrapolated to servers we do not list — which is also the limit of it: these are the Half-Life 2: Deathmatch servers on JoinGG, so read the counts as a large sample of public community servers rather than as a census of the game.

Readings are kept for 7 days and pruned by the poller, so this page describes the last week rather than all time — it gets deeper as readings accumulate rather than longer. Hours are measured in UTC and shown in your own clock; hover any of them to read the UTC figure behind it. The answers above stay in UTC, because each is also published as structured data for search engines, where a reader’s zone means nothing.

How many people still play the others

Every game JoinGG measures with enough servers behind it to publish, busiest first. The number on each is the players we can see on its listed servers right now.

Minecraft36,752FiveM31,598Counter-Strike 1.67,744Counter-Strike: Source3,483Team Fortress 21,995Garry's Mod1,508Counter-Strike 21,100Counter-Strike: Global Offensive393Day of Defeat371Left 4 Dead 2332Half-Life296Counter-Strike: Condition Zero271Day of Defeat: Source264Team Fortress Classic250Natural Selection71Insurgency (2014)60Rust38Zombie Panic! Source38Left 4 Dead20Space Engineers167 Days to Die13Fortress Forever12Alien Swarm0Insurgency (Source)0