The first alleged material related to Destiny 2 leaked out Thursday morning, giving fans a taste of the upcoming promotional campaign for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One shooter. Additionally, the leak appears to confirm both the release date and a multi-stage beta test.
There are actually a pair of Destiny 2 poster leaks from Italy that bring us this information. The first is from the Leganetwork gaming website (via Reddit ), which shows three helmet-less Guardians and a release date of September 8, 2017, in a portrait orientation. The second is allegedly a GameStop Italy poster (also via Reddit ), which provides a wider view of the same image plus text at the bottom that confirms a beta is coming.
The Italian text roughly translates to “join beta in advance.” Aside from confirming the beta, this appears to indicate the Destiny 2 beta will be run in multiple phases with those that pre-order the game gaining early access.
There also appears to be some additional text at the top right of the second poster. It’s difficult to read, but appears to call out PlayStation exclusive content. If so, the deal between Activision and Sony for exclusive Destiny 2 content is still on.
Whether this will be the same year-long timed exclusive content that grated on both PlayStation and Xbox players remains to be seen. Even though PlayStation players were able to enjoy certain content not available to those on Xbox, exclusive content like Strikes were kept out of some playlists and weekly rotations.
As for the two Destiny 2 posters, they appear to be authentic given that they are of the same image and the second has the appropriate Bungie and Activision labels along with a European PEGI age rating. The Titan in the middle is wielding an Omolon rifle, possibly a Scout Rifle. Meanwhile, the Warlock on the right is firing a Suros Shotgun and the Hunter on the left is holding a Hand Cannon.
The one thing that could possibly point to these being well-done fakes is the release date. September 8 falls on a Friday. The typical release date for new games is Tuesday in North America and Thursday in Europe. However, Activision has released the last two Call of Duty titles – Black Ops 3 and Infinite Warfare – on a Friday. A start of the weekend release for Destiny is certainly not out of the question given the size and dedication of the fanbase.
The likely reveal schedule for Destiny 2 , minus any additional leaks, should start soon given that these posters are possibly in the hands of retail stores. A broader announcement and demo will come at E3 in June likely during the PlayStation press conference. This should include details on the beta and how fans should be able to join. One note to keep an eye on is whether the rumored PC version of the game becomes official.
Other rumors suggest much of the action will move to Saturn with a major focus on the Cabal, though there’s no obvious connection in the leaked posters. The Saturn setting is reportedly larger than all the current spaces combined and will be implemented in a more open-world manner versus the hardline zones that Destiny currently employs. This could mean the end of going to orbit to hop from activity to activity.
The new play areas will be populated with “towns, outposts, and quests” to replace the current patrol missions and social areas. This will treat the game more like World of Warcraft , for example, rather than what PS4 and Xbox One owners saw in the original.
The changes in game structure comes with some consequences, however. Players will be able to transfer their existing characters to Destiny 2 , but just their character. All experience, perks, armor, weapons, and items will not make the jump.
What do you think of these alleged Destiny 2 posters? Sound off in the comments below.
[Featured Image by Bungie/Activision]
