destiny 2 beta

Destiny 2 BETA Preview

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We’re fast approaching the start of the Destiny 2 Beta, with early access kicking off on the 18th for PS4 players. In anticipation of the beta launch, we wanted to put out a comprehensive beta preview to answer any and all questions about what will be available to play hands on and when exactly you will be able to access it.

Beta Access

Playstation 4 and Xbox One players can currently preload the Destiny 2 beta file from their respective platform digital stores, or by redeeming a beta code provided by whichever retailer you pre-ordered from. Simply search for ‘Destiny 2 Beta’ and you’ll be able to download it. Once you have the beta client downloaded, you’ll be able to launch it and see the Destiny 2 title screen.

Access to the beta will be rolled out according to the following schedule:

  • July 18, 10AM PST – PS4 pre-order early access
  • July 19, 10AM PST – Xbox One pre-order early access
  • July 21, 10AM PST – Open beta access for all
  • July 23, 10AM PST – Access to the new Farm social hub for approximately one hour
  • July 23, 9PM PST – Beta ends

Unfortunately for PC players, they will have to wait until August for their chance to try out the game. The exact beta date for PC should be revealed in the coming weeks.

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Beta Activities

We’ll be able to try out a few different game modes once the beta kicks off, including a campaign mission, a strike, and a couple of PvP maps and game modes. The new social hub area, known as the Farm, will also be opened up for one hour on July 23, presumably to stress test the server loads. Here’s a detailed look at what we will be able to play:

  • The ‘Homecoming’ campaign mission is the opening level in the Destiny 2 Red War campaign and see’s Ghaul and the Red Legion launching their assault on the Tower to capture the Traveler and claim it’s Light for themselves. We’ll be able to create a brand new Guardian and do battle to defend our home alongside the Vanguard.

 

  • The Inverted Spire strike will be open to test, and will see fireteams of 3 Guardians battling across the surface of Nessus against Cabal and Vex forces, culminating in an epic confrontation with Protheon, Modular Mind. Matchmaking will be available for this cooperative activity.

 

  • There will be two PvP modes to sample, Control and the new Countdown game type. Each will have it’s own dedicated map, with Control getting the Endless Vale and Countdown taking place on the Midtown map that was shown in the initial Destiny 2 reveal. Both game modes will support matchmaking as well.

 

  • We will be able to access the Farm for exactly one hour on July 23 at 10AM PST. The Farm is the new social hub that will be replacing the Tower, and so far we’ve seen that Tyra Kern will be on hand to help decrypt engrams and the Postmaster will also be making a return. There will be plenty to explore here despite the brief access duration, including a brand new soccer game to kill time with in between gunfights.

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Available Subclasses

We’re finally going to get our hands on the three brand new subclasses coming in Destiny 2 in the beta. The Sentinel, Arcstrider, and Dawnblade will all be unlocked for use. In addition to this, we’ll also be able to try out the updated Striker, Gunslinger, and Voidwalker classes. Of particular interest will be the Sentinel and Voidwalker, as it will be the first time we’ve had an opportunity to get a look at their skill trees!

Perhaps we will even get some hints as to whether or not we’ll be able to use the three subclasses introduced in the Taken King? Information on them has been non-existant, although Destiny 2 Project Lead Jason Noseworthy did tease that there’s still many things they want to leave as a surprise when asked about the Nightstalker class.

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Potential Issues

Bungie is already aware of several issues that could possibly pop up during the beta test:

  • There’s a variety of known networking error codes when attempting to access the beta
  • Bungie will be testing server stability all throughout the beta, which may cause further sporadic error codes
  • During Crucible gameplay, location names sometimes do not display properly
  • Players are sometimes kicked to orbit after witnessing a black screen when loading into a Countdown game
  • When joining in progress, players are sometimes placed at the beginning of the Inverted Spire strike
  • Sandbox balancing is still an ongoing process; certain weapons and abilities may require further tuning and will do damage that is higher or lower than intended
  • Not all content has been localized in all languages

If you happen to encounter any issues not listed above, it’s encouraged to report the problem to their Help Forum.

Wrap Up

That just about covers it all as far as content available in the beta goes. Most of it is content we’ve already seen over the last several weeks since the Destiny 2 reveal, but this will be the first time many of us are able to get our hands on it.

And who knows? Maybe Bungie has a surprise or two up their sleeve…

It won’t be long until we all find out for ourselves!