Activision confirmed in February that the sequel to first-person space shooter Destiny will be released in the fall of this year, though no definite launch date was given for the title.
However, leaked posters have now revealed the release date for Destiny 2, along with the fact that a beta is being planned for the highly anticipated game.
Destiny 2 Leaked Poster Reveals Release Date, Beta
The first image of a poster for Destiny 2 surfaced in Italian website Lega Network, with the poster allegedly leaked by GameStop Italy. The poster, which features three Guardians heading into battle, reveals a Sept. 8 release date for the game.
However, the release date of Sept. 8 could only be for the European version of the game. New titles are often released in North America on a Tuesday, and then in Europe on the Friday after that. With Sept. 8 being a Friday, it is likely that Destiny 2 will launch in the United States on Sept. 5.
Another look at the poster, uploaded to image hosting website Imgur, reveals that there will be a beta version released for Destiny 2 before its launch, and that PlayStation 4 gamers will be the first to access the planned beta before players on other platforms. This is not a surprise, as the beta of Destiny was first made available on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Eurogamer confirmed with its sources that the leaked Destiny 2 poster is a legitimate one, and that the beta version of the game is planned to launch in June.
Kotaku also confirmed the authenticity of the poster, adding that developer Bungie is planning to make an official announcement of Destiny 2 very soon.
What We Know So Far About 'Destiny 2'
Bungie is said to be developing Destiny 2 to have a significantly different feel compared to Destiny, with less barren planet regions in Destiny 2 that will contain towns, outposts, and quests. Destiny 2 is also expected to be released on the PC.
Perhaps the most publicly discussed known detail regarding Destiny 2 is that players will only be able to carry over the looks of their characters from the original game into the sequel. The character level, skills, currency, gear, and weapons that players have worked hard to achieve and acquire in Destiny will not be transferred to Destiny 2.
The decision by Bungie to have both old and new players start with a clean slate on Destiny 2 is based on the fact that sequels should serve as opportunities for players to start new adventures, including acquiring new loot. In addition, by starting off fresh, Bungie will not need to take into account all the gear and skills that were carried over from Destiny when releasing updates.
Destiny players will be able to once again go through all the raids that have ever been released for the game in the Age of Triumph update, the last one that Bungie will push out before it shifts all its focus on the development of Destiny 2. The update will bring all the raids up to the current Light Level, and will introduce the biggest record book yet for Destiny.
