Destiny 2 is finally arriving, and you can watch the launch trailer here -plus find out the Destiny 2 release date, price, platforms, and details about how to play Destiny 2 at midnight.
Destiny was one of the most anticipated games of 2014, though it arrived to some disappointment after failing to live up to developer Bungie’s ambitious promises. A series of expansions and content updates dramatically improved the game though, and all eyes are on Destiny 2 to take those improvements one step further – it’s already one of the games we’re most looking forward to this year.
After months as an open secret, Destiny 2 was officially announced in early 2017. You can watch the official launch trailer at the top of this page.
Nvidia has announced at Gamescom that it is adding HDR and SLI support to the PC version of the game, as well as details of a new GeForce GTX Destiny 2 Bundle.
Destiny 2 is releasing worldwide tomorrow, 6 September 2017 on console, with a PC release following a few weeks later on 24 October .
It’s coming out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC – a welcome surprise, since the first game was console only. We’re also expecting support for both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.
While PC players get the game a bit later, they do get one perk – they’ll have an uncapped framerate and up to 4K resolutions, whereas consoles are capped at 30fps. The PC multiplayer will also be exclusively handled through Blizzard’s Battle.net.
There will be some limits though – PC players won’t be able to use some game capture programs and Discord overlays according to a Bungie FAQ, with specific restrictions on using capture software for exclusive fullscreen capture – though hardware capture is supported.
While the first game was also on the PS3 and Xbox 360, those are too old to be supported in 2017. Switch owners are also out of luck, since Nintendo’s console is comparatively under-powered.
We’re also going to see some exclusive benefits for PS4 owners. They’ll have timed exclusive access (until autumn 2018) to a strike, a PvP map, a ship, three armour sets, and an exotic weapon. You can see them all in action in the PS4 content trailer:
In addition to pre-ordering the upcoming game from a number of retailers, as is mentioned below, dedicated fans can head down to GAME at midnight tonight to pick up a physical copy of the game.
No need to wait for the postman to deliver the game tomorrow! The midnight launches are being held at GAME shops all around the UK – simply head to the store this evening and start queuing.
In addition to queuing up at GAME stores, those who are interested in playing the game at midnight can also pre-order the game from the PlayStation Store and Microsoft Store. The games should unlock at midnight, allowing you to jump straight into the action. The Destiny 2 servers are already online, so there shouldn’t be any waiting around.
Pre-orders have opened for Destiny 2, and as you’d expect for 2017, there’s a plethora of different versions to choose from.
First up though, the big reason to pre-order is that no matter which version of the game you pre-order, you get access to an exclusive exotic trace rifle, the Coldheart. Bungie confirmed that users that pre-order the game will get access to the exotic rifle at launch, while those that purchase the game after launch will have to wait until 5th December 2017 to unlock it.
You’ll also gain early access to the upcoming PC beta in August if you pre-order.
Otherwise, the base game is available for £49.99 on PC and £54.99 on console in the UK from Game (who will also give you an exclusive in-game Ghost design) , and $59.99 no matter the platform in the US from Amazon .
The next step up is the Limited Edition. That includes the base game; the expansion pass; an in-game sword, emblem, and emote; and a Cabal-themed Collector’s Box including a booklet, postcards, and some other goodies. That’s £79.99/£89.99 from Game in the UK, and $99.99 from GameStop in the US .
The top tier is the Collector’s Edition. That includes everything from the Limited Edition, plus a bag, a laptop sleeve, and a ‘Frontier Kit’ with a solar USB charger, paracord, and solar blanket. That’s £209.99/£219.99 from Game in the UK, and $249.99 from GameStop in the US .
Finally, a new PS4 Pro in Glacier White has been announced but only in a bundle with Destiny 2. In the US it will cost $499 and although there will be a European model, there’s no price for it yet.
Bungie announced an official beta program for the game that took place in July for those on PS4 and Xbox One, while PC users have to wait a little longer.
Bungie has revealed that the PC beta will take place from 28-31 August 2017, although those that don’t pre-order the game have to wait until 29th before being allowed access.
You can pre-load the game from 6pm UK time (1pm EST, 10am PST) on 25 August – if you pre-ordered a digital copy, it’s just a matter of clicking ‘Install’ in Battle.net, but retail customers will have to go to bungie.net/redeem to redeem their code. The company has also released a list of known issues in the beta, so you can prepare yourself for a few bug.
It includes the game’s opening mission, one Strike (The Inverted Spire) and three of Crucible maps for 4v4 competitive multiplayer – including one that wasn’t part of the console beta.
You get to play as any of the three classes, with two subclasses available for each, and there’s a selection of different weapons to try out, including a couple of Exotics.
Nvidia recently released an exclusive video about the upcoming Destiny 2 beta, showcasing [email protected] gameplay in the trailer – a taste of what is to come in a few weeks’ time. It also confirmed that Destiny 2 would feature an uncapped frame-rate on PC, and that the beta would also support keyboard + mouse input and also 21: 9 monitors.
Here’s the minimum and recommended PC specs for those wanting to play the beta later this month:
CPU
GPU
RAM
CPU
GPU
RAM
We delved into the console beta to see what’s new, and you can read what we think of the new content in our gameplay preview below.
Bungie has announced that Destiny 2 will have two major expansions, though we can probably expect a few smaller updates and events between them.
We don’t know exactly what they’ll feature, but the logos on the Expansion Pass poster hint that the first will relate to Osiris, while the second will be tied to the Warmind Rasputin from the original Destiny.
So, what can we expect from Destiny 2? Following the gameplay reveal in May, and after spending some time blasting Cabal in the beta and hands-on with the PC version at Gamescom, we have a decent idea now about what new features Destiny 2 is bringing to the table.
First up, what’s not changing. The core gameplay will remain mostly the same, with the tight first-person shooting mostly untouched. You’ll also still have three classes to pick from – Warlock, Hunter, and Titan – and will jet around a few different worlds working through missions to advance the plot.
There’s also no major difference between the console and PC versions, beyond the fact that PC players can push the graphics a lot harder – and having played it on PC in 4K, there’s a good argument for waiting if you have a rig that can handle it. Destiny always had phenomenal art direction, but on PC the textures and environmental effects are stunning, not to mention the lighting – from a technical perspective, it’s never looked better.
Naturally, PC players also get access to the mouse-and-keyboard control scheme, which felt like it made the PvE content easier to us – it was certainly much simpler to pull off headshots – so PC players may find that they progress faster, though with no cross-platform multiplayer it shouldn’t be a problem from a game balance perspective.
Beyond that, things are a little more different. The game’s first mission sees the Citadel attacked by the alien Cabal, led by Dominus Ghaul. From there, players will be fighting to build up earth’s defences again, reclaim their gear, and generally shoot a lot of aliens.
The classes have been tweaked slightly, with a new subclass for each – the Warlock Dawnblade, Titan Sentinel, and Hunter Arcstrider. Each class now also gets a specific cooldown ability to encourage further differentiation – for example, Warlocks can get the ability to buff attack power or heal.
