Factions - what size of playerbase are we expecting? (Part 1, potential causes of decline)

This discussion is mainly with next season in mind, notably the question of if the gamemode should be designed for a smaller playerbase. Factions was once the most popular gamemode on OGN. Last season got 100 players at launch, and 25,000 unique players over it's 2 month season. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. I really want to see this gamemode achieve it's former level of activity, the question is is that realistic/is that the plan? (I think it can happen long term, but unsure about next season). I was personally unsure if the gamemode would attract as large of a playerbase as last season, but can say that I was definitely expecting a larger playerbase. I do think some changes need to be made to improve new player retention (and SHOULD be made before going all out on promotion), but it's also clear that MUCH fewer players are joining to begin with. If things continue at current pace, the gamemode will be at roughly 4000 unique players (if not less) after 2 months, less than 1/5ths of what last season got. 1. Lack of promotion. Last season was promoted not only with periodic mentions in videos, but a 45 minute dedicated video on release, short form content throughout the season, and a 3rd channel uploading Factions content. I think some transparency on what the future plans for promotion are is something to consider. I realize there have been more bugs/issues than hoped this season and I don't know if that was a factor in holding off on promotion. I also realize that the last promotional video may or may not be 3 years old (!), it was uploaded in July 2024, but most if not all footage in it is from the April 2023 beta.