Destiny 2 trailers, release date, news and features

Update: The open beta for Destiny 2 on PC kicks off today at 6pm (10 am PT) and runs through to Thursday (although with the console beta having been extended that end date does have room to change). You'll find it exclusively on Blizzard's Battle.net.
Anyone that gets involved will get to play a small part of the game's story campaign, and a couple of the games multiplayer modes. You can find out more about what the beta will involve and the system requirements below:

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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
• What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC
• Destiny 2 developers: Bungie and High Moon Studios
• Destiny 2 publisher: Activision Blizzard

Destiny 2 trailers

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 and decide for yourself.

Beta release

Now that the Destiny 2 console Beta has taken place, we're gearing up for PC.
The Destiny 2 PC Beta launch date has been announced, with early access starting on August 28 while the full open Beta is launching on August 29 before ending on August 31.

To help you get organised for the Beta, Bungie has also released the minimum PC requirements for running it. Minimum specs for the Beta require you to have either an Intel Core i3-3250 or AMD FX-4350 CPU, with a GeForce GTX 660 2GB or Radeon HD 7850 2GB graphics card. As far as RAM is concerned you're only going to need 6GB.

These are fairly reasonable specs for your average PC gamer, though it's worth bearing in mind they are for the Beta and not the final game so if you want to pick up the final thing you might have to make an upgrade somewhere.

Bungie hasn't rested on its laurels when it comes to making changes based on feedback from its recent console Beta. They've been so receptive to feedback, the changes will be made and applied in time for the upcoming PC Beta. (A trailer for which, can be found below!)

A main change is being made to matchmaking. The parameters will now be changed to determine whether you're taking part in a Quickplay or Competitive game. If you're searching for a Quickplay game, speed will be prioritized over skill (so you'll have shorter wait times but there'll be a bigger disparity in the skill of the players taking part). With Competitive games on the other hand the game will take more time over finding people of a similar skill and connection level to you.

Bungie said the PC beta will also include fixes for bugs and glitches as well as "a few tweaks" that should just make gameplay more enjoyable. For example, there'll be a reduction in the time it takes to charge a super attack and power ammo drops will be more frequent during PvE games.
NVIDIA has released a trailer for the PC Beta which shows the game running in 4K at 60 fps.

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. Bungie has said, however, it won't be available on Steam.

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.

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.

In terms of additional features, Activision has confirmed that the game will support text-chat on PC and will feature HDR graphics; plus Nvidia announced at Gamescom 2017 that it will support SLI, if you are a fan of using more than one video card, and 21:9 aspect ratio for if you like using more than one monitor.

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.

Pre-orders

Standard Edition
Just looking for the game and nothing else? This is the most affordable and basic option.

Limited Edition
As well as the base version of the game, purchasing the Limited Edition bundle will give you access to the Expansion Pass. This is the version you ought to purchase if you know you're going to want access to any of the additional content that will be released after the base game's initial release.
With the Expansion Pass you'll get access to both Expansion I and Expansion II which offer new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a bunch of new weapons, armor, and equipment.

You'll also get access to bonus digital content that includes weapons, a special steelbook cover and a Cabal-themed collectors box that includes additional physical collectibles.

Standard Game plus Expansion Pass
Not especially interested in a physical copy of the game but you don't want to have to purchase the game and Expansion Pass separately? This digital bundle available on the Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store and Battle.net will suit you.

Collectors Edition
Still not had enough Destiny 2 content? Then you might want to purchase the Collectors Edition. This one will be slightly harder to find in stock but if you do get your hands on it you'll have everything that's in the previous Editions plus a special Frontier bag and laptop sleeve.

The bag won't be empty, either; inside you'll find a solar panel USB charger, a paracord and a solar blanket.
The Collectors Edition isn't available at every retailer – it's exclusive to Game in the UK for £219.99 while US retailers include Amazon and Gamestop.