After teasing gamers with a Destiny alpha last month, Bungie is gearing up for the game’s official beta test, which we now know will begin on July 17 for PS4 and PS3 owners. Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners will be able to join the beta beginning on July 23 (after it temporarily shuts down on July 21 and 22 for maintenance) and the test will come to an end for everyone on July 27. The beta will be open to everyone who has pre-ordered Destiny at “select retailers,” so if you want to play, you’ve got to pre-pay.
As befitting every major game release nowadays, Destiny will also receive a pair of special editions and an Expansion Pass. The standard edition is still available, but if you’d prefer to obtain the Limited Edition ($99.99), you’ll receive the following:
- Limited edition SteelBook Case and Game Disc
- Guardian Folio:
- Arms & Armament Field Guide
- Postcards from the Golden Age
- Antique Star Chart
- Collector’s Edition Digital Content Pack:
- Unique Ghost Casing
- Exclusive Player Emblem
- Exclusive Player Ship Variant
- Destiny Expansion Pass – Expands the Destiny adventure post-launch with the following two expansions, which will include brand new story missions, cooperative activities and competitive multiplayer arenas, and a wealth of all new weapons, armor and gear to earn:
- Expansion I: The Dark Below – Set deep beneath the surface of the Moon, fans will discover an ancient tomb that has been unsealed, and a dark god who has risen an evil army in the depths of the Hellmouth, the home of the Hive enemy race
- Expansion II: House of Wolves – details will be revealed later
- PlayStation platforms will also include additional exclusive content for Expansion I and II and will remain exclusive until at least Fall of 2015
Not bad, not bad. But the Ghost Edition is where the real cool stuff is. It’s priced a bit higher ($149.99), but it’ll include everything from the Limited Edition and:
- Ghost Replica, featuring motion-activated lights and voice recordings from award-winning actor Peter Dinklage, voice of the Ghost character, the player’s personal companion in the game
- Golden Age Relics, which include a Photo, Patch, Sticker and two Chrome slides of the Traveler
- Letter of Introduction
Finally, a Digital Guardian Edition will be released that packages together a digital download of he game and the Expansion Pass. Purchasing them together will net players a $5 discount. And if you’d prefer to buy the game and worry about the Expansion Pass later, it’ll be available separately for $34.99 (and each expansion is $19.99 if purchased individually).
Destiny will be available on September 9. But in the meantime, be sure to watch the brand new beta trailer above and hit the jump for a sneak peek at the Ghost Edition.
