This game will never die, even with bugs or hacks, so don’t overdo things, we are getting updates and new options, and I should admit there are some issues that need to be fixed really, but we should avoid toxic opinions on this, just be patience and try to support as most as we can to get the game even better, enjoy what we have currently while the updates are progressing.
No,look at the last patch they uploaded… Bert Beeckman:* With last month’s amazing launch of Age of Empires IV, we know our players are curious about what this means for Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition. Will we abandon our longest-enduring classic RTS to focus on our new release? 
- NO WAY! While we’re thrilled for everything coming for Age of Empires IV, we’re happy to reassure our Age II players that the excitement around Age IV means MORE for you, not less. We’re planning to support Age II: DE for a long, long time, and will soon be able to share an exciting roadmap, with some genuinely awesome reveals coming in the months ahead! – stay tuned and WOLOLO!
The key word is ANYMORE. You imply that the game once had larger playerbase, yet you failed to provide any proof for this.