Update: The Destiny 2 beta is live according to a tweet from Bungie HQ. PS4 owners should be the first to step foot in the new world starting today, July 18, while Xbox One owners will get their own welcoming party starting on July 19.
Keep reading for more information on the different stages the beta mode release is going to go through, when you'll be able to access it and what you can expect to get out of it.
When Destiny dropped in 2014, gamers were initially skeptical of its messy story and repetitive content. But over time, and through the release of some major expansions including The Taken King and Rise of Iron, the game has built a reputation as a solid MMO shooter that looks and handles exceptionally well. Three years on, fans are still flocking to it in their millions.
Destiny 2 is now waiting in the wings and ready to reset the game world.
We have a pretty good idea of what's to come, thanks to Activision's early launch of the reveal trailer and now gameplay trailer, and we can't wait to get in and try our hand at the new classes: Dawnblade for Warlocks, Sentinel for Titans and Arc Strider for Hunters.
You can also count on a few new maps and PVP modes on tap here, including a mode called Countdown which has teams of guardians setting bombs in each other's bases and then defending them until they explode.
If that wasn't enough mouth-watering space goodness for you, here's one more morsel: Destiny 2 is coming to PC for the first time in franchise history. In 4K.
Ahead of its scheduled release later this year we’ve gathered all the news, rumors and info about the game into one place. Gear up space cowboy, this is everything you need to know about Bungie’s blockbuster sequel.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The highly-anticipated follow up to MMO shooter Destiny
- When it is out? September 6, 2017 on console and October 24 on PC
- Will Destiny 2 launch on PC? Yes! As well as PS4 and Xbox One
- Destiny 2 developers: Bungie and High Moon Studios
- Destiny 2 publisher: Activision Blizzard
- Destiny 2 price: TBA, pre-orders are available now and prices start at £54.99/$59.99
Destiny 2 trailers and screenshots
Destiny 2 got a brand-new trailer at Sony's E3 2017 Keynote on Monday, June 12 that shows the three new classes in action and re-affirming the game's September 6, 2017 release date.
We also learned that gamers that buy the game on Sony systems will receive an exclusive strike, ship, weapon and PVP maps.
That's a compelling reason for guardians to go for PS4 over the other systems, although PC gamers will be the only platform with 4K.
Is that enough to persuade gamers to Sony's systems? Check out the trailer below and decide for yourself.
Activision and Bungie have been busy. Not two months after our first teaser trailer for the game, we've now got our first look at the gameplay.
Beta release
Destiny 2 is going to have a beta release before its final September launch and it will be accessible in different stages.
For those that pre-ordered the game and received a unique code for doing so, the beta will open a week early at the following times:
- PS4 – 18 July at 6pm BST/ 10 am PST/ 1pm EST
- Xbox One – 19 July at 6 pm BST/ 10am PST/ 1pm EST
Following this an open for everyone else regardless of console will begin on 21 July at 6 pm BST/ 10 am PST/ 1 pm EST.
The beta will then end for everyone on 24 at 5am BST / 12am EST , which is actually 23 July at 9 pm for those on PST.
As far as what you'll be able to access in the beta Bungie has said players will be able to try out the game's cooperative and competitive modes in Crucible and Stike as well as the opening mission of the single-player story mode. We got to try this mission out for ourselves on PC at this year's E3 and you can find our thoughts below. There's nothing new in the beta that hasn't been revealed before but it'll give you the chance to try it out for yourself and get a look at those new subclasses.
You'll also be able to access the game's new social area called The Farm, but only for an hour on Sunday 23 July starting 6pm BST/10am PST/1pm EST. This is presumably to stop the area becoming overwhelmed by players before it's ready.
Nothing from the beta, however, will carry over to the final version of the game when it launches in September.
For PC gamers feeling left out, you will get your time! Just slightly later, sometime in late August.
PC hands on impressions
As Destiny 2 is the franchise’s debut on PC, I was excited to get hands on with the game at this year’s E3 to get even a small sense of how the massive multiplayer first-person online so popular on consoles would feel with a mouse and keyboard.
I got the chance to try out the very first mission of Destiny 2’s single-player campaign mode. Called Homecoming, the mission throws players right into the action of the invasion of The Last City lead by Cabal Red Legion commander Dominus Ghaul.
I might as well make it clear right now, I am absolutely not a PC gamer. Though I had played the original Destiny on console, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the game on PC as keyboard and mouse controls are utterly unfamiliar to me.
Keyboard is key
It’s to Destiny 2 on PC’s credit, then, that I found the keyboard controls very intuitive and clearly laid out. Nothing is lost by using keyboard and mouse, and gunplay felt as sharp smooth and satisfying as it does on console.
In fact, with the game running in 4K at a speedy 60 frames per second it might have been even better.
Something that was enjoyable about the game’s first mission was that despite it being a single-player mode in a game that’s more focused on multiplayer experiences, I didn’t feel abandoned and lonely when playing.
The planets are alive with the sound of NPCs
This is because Bungie has integrated its NPC characters into the campaign; characters like Ikora and Cayde-6 are there fighting alongside you and being an active and vocal part of the action. Not to mention the cutscenes.
In the short mission I played, the game’s environments were rich and detailed with an exciting sense of scale and life. The foreground of the action puts you in a crumbling almost completely destroyed city that feels like it’s coming down on top of you. Look past this though and you’ll see an expansive horizon filled with enemy ships.
Basically, this was a much more cinematic experience than anything the original Destiny offered and it made playing alone more exciting as a result.
Cinematic campaign
It’s worth going back to the fact that we noted the mission was short, though. I’m not sure if it was for demo purposes but I was surprised by how quickly I managed to make my way through it so we hope other sections of the campaign run slightly longer if only just to allow us to savor the experience.
Though we’ve only experienced a small part of it, we feel like it’s safe to say Destiny 2 is going to feel as fun and at home on PC as it does on console, if not more so with the extra effort Bungie has put in with its tailored PC version.
If the rest of the campaign looks and feels as good as the part we played, and the multiplayer is up to shape we don’t doubt fans will love it and newcomers will flock to it.
The PC version may be coming later but from what we can see, it'll be worth the wait.
Destiny 2 PC
Bungie confirmed a PC release on the day it released the game's debut trailer and now there's no looking back. Only forward to its October 24 release.
This is a very good thing considering that PC gamers are clamoring for Destiny 2 – and it's a perfect fit for the platform, which has long been the spiritual home of the MMO. It will also give Bungie access to a huge new audience.
And if that news wasn't good enough, Bungie is going to reward to the PC faithful by making the PC version of the game 4K compatible. Yep, your favorite shooter is now going to have a 3840 × 2160 resolution.
Here's an images of the game in 4K to whet your appetite.
But its resolution isn't the only unique thing about the game's PC launch.
We've also learned recently that the game is going to be exclusive to Battle.net when it does come to PC ... which, as it turns out, might be a few weeks after the console version is released. Destiny will be the first non-Blizzard game to be made available on Battle.net, however, so that's quite an honor.
Destiny 2 confirmed features
Activision and Bungie have played their cards very close to their chest – so, as of yet, there are very few confirmed features. However, there are a few things that are nailed on.
Clans
Improving on Groups from the original Destiny, Clans will be an important feature in Destiny 2 that will allow players to team up and organize games for online multiplayer.
The structure of Clans in Destiny 2 will be similar to that of Groups: they'll be capped at 100 members and those with Destiny 2 accounts will be able to be a member of one Clan per platform. The way they'll differ, however, is in their new abilities and features. The biggest change is Guided Games, a new matchmaking system for Raids and Nightfall Strikes. With this system existing Clans that perhaps don't have enough members for a higher-level missions will be able to seek another player outside their Clan in order to have a full party. This benefits high-level players who aren't members of Clans as well as the Clans themselves.
Clan members can also invite other players to join their Clan from within the game and all members of a Clan will receive rewards for each others' successes. What these rewards are is still unclear.
Bungie is making it possible for players to transfer their Groups from Destiny into Clans in Destiny 2 before the game's release which should mean a thriving online multiplayer community as soon as the game is released.
Clan leaders are now able to visit Bungie.net and decide whether or not they want to move their Group over to Destiny 2. They'll be able to transfer their title and permissions to another member if they feel they'll need a better and more committed leader for the new game.
According to Bungie, this migration period will last for one month, after which the Clan creation service will go live on Bungie.net.
A cinematic story
Gamers will be glad to hear that the developers are placing more emphasis on the story and characters this time around. "The cornerstone...is a great cinematic story," Activision exec Eric Hirshberg said earlier this year. "That's been a real focus with a great cast of memorable, relatable characters.”
In our short hands on with game's first campaign mission we definitely think Bungie have been successful here. We got a much greater sense of scale, spectacle and life here than we did in the original Destiny.
Goodbye Grimoire
As part of putting more emphasis on story and characters, Destiny 2 will drop Grimoire cards. Those who played the original Destiny game will know that Grimoire cards were cards unlocked for completing tasks in the game.
Unfortunately, they were only accessibly on the web, not in the actual game itself, which basically meant much of the game's core lore and story was inaccessible while playing.
World design lead, Steve Cotton told Forbes that this time around there will be no Grimoire cards as the team want to keep most of the lore in the game itself and tell the story through the missions, characters and scannables.
Lots of expansions
This is hardly unexpected given the success of Destiny’s myriad updates and add-ons, but Activision has confirmed that it has “follow-on content plans” for Destiny 2. That likely means the team will be listening to players and tailoring the future experience – expect fresh content, gameplay changes, and cosmetic add-ons.
More accessible for “casual players”
‘Casual’ has become a bit of a dirty word in some gaming circles, but Activision and Bungie are clear about their intention to make their game more open to all. "We've made it more accessible to someone who just wants to have a great more casual first-person action experience... without losing anything that our core players love,” Hirschberg said. What that means in practice is not clear, but we hope it means a game with less grinding and more varied gameplay.
Character continuity with the first game (to some extent)
We don’t know how Destiny 2 will handle player’s Guardians from the first game (more on that in the rumours section below), but we know there will be some continuity. “That idea is that the Guardian you have created is something you can bring along with you on that adventure,” Community Manager David Dague told IGN in 2014. “If you take a look at the way people have played other games for a long period of time, they’ve had a relationship with the same character for a very long time.” Intriguing.
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/news/destiny-2-release-date-news-and-rumors
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