‘Destiny 2’ Rallies Troops With Story Trailer, PC Confirmation, Beta, And More

Destiny 2 was officially revealed Thursday following many teases and leaks. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One fans finally have a date for the online shooter’s release, confirmation of an open beta test, and a new trailer that reveals the plot. They will also be joined by PC gamers for the first time.

As a poster leak hinted last week, Destiny 2 will be released on September 8, 2017. The PS4 and Xbox One releases will be accompanied by the PC for the first time in the series. Unfortunately, there is no mention of cross-play between any of the platforms in the press release, so that is likely out.

A beta will happen this summer ahead of the launch of the game. Dates have not been announced yet, but there will be two phases. Those who pre-order Destiny 2 from select retailers will gain access to the beta early. Those that decide to hold their powder will have to wait for the open beta to go live.

First gameplay footage of the sequel will debut worldwide on May 18.

“The broadcast will showcase a variety of fun, action-oriented activities within Destiny 2, and will highlight the brand-new, epic adventure waiting for players,” Activision’s press release states.

Naturally, the announcement comes with a cinematic trailer that sets the stage for Destiny players to continue their journey. Commander Zavala and Cayde-6 rally the troops in their own unique ways following a Cabal attack on the Last City. The Guardians have been forcefully booted from the Tower and outside the walls of the city by a fleet of the massive aliens.

The massive invasion was foreshadowed in The Taken King expansion by Cayde-6 himself. The Vanguard captain mentioned the Cabal had sent a distress signal out to its main fleet during one of the missions.

Here is the official description of the Destiny 2 plot.

“In Destiny 2, the last safe city on Earth has fallen and lay in ruins, occupied by a powerful new enemy and his elite army, the Red Legion. Every player creates their own character called a ‘Guardian,’ humanity’s chosen protectors. As a Guardian in Destiny 2, players must master new abilities and weapons to reunite the city’s forces, stand together and fight back to reclaim their home. The official Destiny 2 reveal trailer, ‘Rally the Troops,’ shows two of the Vanguard, leaders of the Guardians, inspiring the people of the last city in an impassioned (and occasionally sarcastic) call to arms. In Destiny 2, players will answer this call, embarking on a fresh story filled with new destinations around our solar system to explore, and an expansive amount of activities to discover. There is something for almost every type of gamer in Destiny 2, including gameplay for solo, cooperative and competitive players set within a vast, evolving and exciting universe.”

Existing Destiny players will be able to bring their Guardians over to the new game, but only their appearance, as previously covered. All weapons, armor, items, and experience will be left behind. This is comically referenced in the announcement trailer when Cayde-6 tells the surrounding Guardians how they’ve lost everything.

Destiny 2 will come in four different flavors for all four platforms – a Standard Edition, Limited Edition, Collector’s Edition, and Digital Deluxe. Bungie and Activision also offer an Expansion Pass with two expansions. The Standard Edition comes with the game, as expected. Meanwhile, here are the details on the other packages.

Limited Edition – $99.99

• Destiny 2 base game
• Destiny 2 Expansion Pass
• Premium digital content:
  • Legendary Sword
  • Legendary Player Emote
  • Cabal Empire Themed Emblem
• Limited Edition Steelbook® Case
• Cabal-themed Collector’s Box, containing;
  • Booklet with secrets into the Cabal Empire
  • Cabal Schematic
  • Collectible Postcard Images
  • Cabal Military Pawns

Destiny 2 Collector’s Edition – $249.99

• The Limited Edition content plus,
• Frontier Kit, featuring:
  • Solar panel USB charger with built-in light
  • Paracord
  • Solar blanket
  • Limited Edition Steelbook® Case
• Cabal-themed Collector’s Box, containing;
  • Booklet with secrets into the Cabal Empire
  • Cabal Schematic
  • Collectible Postcard Images
  • Cabal Military Pawns

Destiny 2 Digital Deluxe Edition – $99.99

• Destiny 2 base game
• Destiny 2 Expansion Pass
• Premium digital content:
  • Legendary Sword
  • Legendary Player Emote
  • Cabal Empire Themed Emblem

The year-long PlayStation exclusivity deal for select Destiny content will remain for the sequel.

“Destiny was the biggest launch of a new console video game franchise ever. Along with our incredibly talented partners at Bungie, we are focusing on making Destiny 2 even better, with state of the art first person action, an awesome new story, great characters, and thoughtful innovations that make the game more accessible to all different kinds of players,” said Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg. “We’re also bringing Destiny 2 to the PC platform for the first time. Destiny 2 will make an already great game franchise better than ever.”

What do you think of the Destiny 2 announcement? Sound off in the comments below.

[Featured Image by Bungie/Activision]