Since this discussion seems to have popped up in the forum...

Possible ways to add players to the game :

-Live Autohandicap (auto-adjusts the effectiveness of players' options to balance the chances for surviving and continuing to play without being totally dominated)

-Bots (A.I. players filling in is an old trick that helps. It should go without saying that the bots have to be enjoyably competent, but many bots I've seen in many games aren't)

-Campaign of invites (We form squads of a few people each and all the squads go out to invite people into this game in various places. Other Steam forums, Facebook, personal friends, from within other games while playing online, etc.)

-Special Event matches (Could be for a tournament, just for fun with a silly name for the event, based on holidays like halloween or st patricks day, etc. Obviously, this requires a group or at least a Steam forum post to announce it ahead of time with server-connect instructions.)

-Tutorial experience for new players (either a mod or an actual human player teaching the player following a list of what to teach next or similar.)

-Actually being willing to do the work necessary to make these ideas happen, including getting uncomfortable.

-Proposing new ways to add and RETAIN players to this community in this thread (will be added here when I check on the thread again)

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Ways NOT to add players to the game :

-Being so much better than them at the game that you completely destroy them and don't give them a chance. This chases new players away. The goal is to GAIN and RETAIN new players. When one leaves, that's a loss no matter how many matches you've won up to that point. (It's not about being better, it's about showing them the game is great.)

-Pointless arguing in the forum that doesn't flesh out how to actually add players. Every comment should be adding to one of the listed ideas or inventing a new idea. If it isn't, don't post it.

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Opinion time : I believe the biggest problem facing "dying" games is the fact that the remaining community is always these infinitely good elite players who push all new players away via frustration from losses and lack of direction. Every game starts new and brings players in with its announcement (and updates, dlc, events) then the player count dwindles and the smaller a game community gets, the more elite it gets. You may be better at the game, but the game community isn't better at growing. That needs to be the focus if you truly love a game and want to share it with people. Granted, everyone has busy lives to varying degrees. Oh and new players always appreciate positive and informative attitudes.