The prices and player counts have fluctuated over the 7+ years we have been around. One thing that has remained consistent is the constant improvements made to the game. This is why I am optimistic for the future of the game.
Me too.
But nowadays I rarely play Steem Monsters/Splinterlands.
I rather check it from time to time.
The modern matchmaking system should receive an update from the developers, because nowadays it often gives much higher rated opponents (for example playing against an opponent with a rating of around 800, while having a rating of around 260) (at least in the Bronze III league), making the game unfair.
But otherwise, I started playing Steem Monsters/Splinterlands on 2018.12.30, and it was one of my favourite video games in that time.
It changed a lot in the previous few years, and often not for the better, but for the worse, and probably this is the main reason behind the fluctuation of the number of the Steem Monsters/Splinterlands players.
Good luck and have fun.
I have not experienced the same problems when I play in Diamond League. The team was doing things to improve matchmaking such as adding their own bots (that does not earn rewards) to compete with players at a similar level.
The number of player has been relatively flat for a long time now. Onboarding is going well, but the churn is also significant. Having a larger playerbase can fix a lot of things about the game. We may have a chance at it during this bull market after all these improvements.
Best of Luck!