Destiny 2 is coming to PC and while there's still a little time to go until its October 24th release date, there have been plenty of new developments stirring in the Destiny 2 universe to get PC fans excited before the game's launch. There was a raft of news at Gamescom and we've picked out ten intriguing new developments, that should make PC gamers even more eager to sample Destiny 2's delights.
And for a limited time, when you buy a select NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, system, or laptop, you’ll get Destiny 2 at PC launch.
Bungie’s strong commitment to PC gamers
Despite the original shared world shooter being one of console gaming's brightest stars, Bungie has moved to reassure PC fans that they will be at the very forefront of the developer's mind when the game debuts this October. Speaking at NVIDIA's conference, Bungie community manager David 'DeeJ' Dague said: "We've wanted to treat PC gamers like first class citizens since the first day of development ... [the PC version] is built from the ground up to be amazing, on state-of-the-art hardware. It should feel native on the PC. This begins with uncompromising art and captivating gameplay.” For PC gamers that's very reassuring to hear and Bungie has made an extra special effort to reach out to fans new to the series.
Destiny 2 Built to Shine on PC
During the NVIDIA conference, Bungie's community manager was also keen to remind gamers just why Destiny 2 will look and play great on PC. Graphics that scale up to true 4K and 4K DSR (Dynamic Super Resolution), an adjustable field of view and an uncapped frame rate, are just some of the high-end features PC players can take advantage of.
See for yourself
With the console launch just around the corner, a raft of brand new videos made their debut at Gamescom, so players could see even more of Destiny 2 for themselves. The Official Launch Trailer was an intriguing affair, showing more story elements, showcasing Warlock and Titan heroes Ikora Rey and Zavala, plus telling us more about the fate of the Speaker and even more about arch nemesis Lord Ghaul. Even more compelling was the spectacular 4K Inverted Spire Strike, which, with the visuals turned up to 11, looks nothing short of show stopping. There was even time for a quick bit of chicken fondling courtesy of Hunter gunslinger Cayde-6 and an intro to new sharpshooter and bird lover Hawthorne.
Welcome to the European Dead Zone
Bungie released an official look at the European Dead Zone where guardians will begin the fightback against the Cabal. Under the tutelage of Devrim Kay VIII, a laid-back gentlemen scout, you'll be battling not only the Cabal, but the insectoid Fallen in tumbledown urban environments and abandoned underground tunnel complexes. New details on Public Events, solo Adventures for lone-wolf style players and Lost Sectors (essentially mini dungeons for three-man fireteams which yield boss battles and loot) were also unleashed, as well some fresh new mechanics and even more footage of the new guardian subclasses in action.
HDR - Bigger, bolder more vivid
We already knew that Destiny 2 is looking so pretty it will make your eyes bleed courtesy of the first 4K gameplay trailer. Yet at Gamescom to add even more fuel to the graphical gaming fire, NVIDIA has just announced HDR support for Destiny 2. HDR, short for High Dynamic Range lighting, is a graphics tech that boosts peak brightness, adding a bolder more saturated range of colours, better defined contrast and richer, more natural darks to a scene, something akin to the technology in the highest quality digital cinema setups. This will mean a more vibrant and vivid rendering of Destiny 2's sci-fi universe, resulting in a fantastic looking and even more immersive game.
SLI and the big rigs
To add even more graphical grunt, NVIDIA announced Destiny 2 will also support SLI technology. For the uninitiated, SLI allows you to harness the power of multiple graphics cards or GPUs simultaneously. How does it work? Well, a single GPU renders one frame at a time, but with SLI technology two GPUs can render alternative frames, three GPUs each render every third frame, while four GPUs each render every fourth. Long story short, that means a massive increase in speed, smoothness, power and precision. It's certainly a high end technology and will appeal to money-no-object purists, but if you've got even a modest dual SLI setup, Destiny 2 is going to look sensational on it.
New Companion App update - make new friends, form a clan
To accompany Destiny 2's launch, Bungie has updated and re-launched the Destiny 2 Companion App, bringing in a wealth of new features. Downloadable now, the new app will, like the original, still let you manage and inspect all your gear, weapons and armour, recruit local fireteam members, manage your profile and express your Guardian's public identity.
However what's new is an Explore section that will keep up you up to date on all that's happening in Destiny 2, with news and info on the latest developments straight from the developer itself. Here you'll discover emerging in-game activities, be able to check out community creations and access additional help in dedicated groups and forums.
More importantly it will be your hub for managing Destiny 2's new clan features, allowing you to create or join a clan, keep track of who's playing online, manage your clan roster, track your clan rewards and most importantly create that iconic clan banner which will define your Destiny 2 identity.
The Destiny 2 Beta is nigh!
The Destiny 2 PC Beta runs from August 28 until August 31, with Early Access players who've pre--ordered the game, getting first dibs on August 29, and the open beta running from August 29-31st.
How do you get involved? Well, if you haven't pre-ordered, simply download the Blizzard PC Desktop App, sign up or login and not only will you be able to participate in the open beta, but you'll be able to grab exclusive news, in-game gear, and catch up with all your friends, as well as automatically update all your other existing Blizzard games.
New Destiny 2 Game Ready Driver
NVIDIA has a long and noble tradition of supplying custom drivers for some of the biggest PC titles and Destiny 2 is no exception. Make sure you're locked and loaded for all three missions in the beta, from Homecoming, the opening campaign story mission, to the competitive trials of the Crucible and the co-operative three-man strike The Inverted Spire with the dedicated Destiny 2 game ready driver.
Bungie has already made a number of tweaks from the console beta, and this latest driver will make sure your system is properly optimized for the full experience. It will also be the very first time gamers get to see the new High Dynamic Range features in-game.
Upgrade and get Destiny 2 at PC Launch
As a PC gamer you're always twitching on exactly when to buy a new graphics card and upgrade your machine and Destiny 2 offers the perfect excuse to splash some cash. However, if you need a little extra incentive, NVIDIA has also reinstated the bundle deal it offered at E3 and for a limited time, if you buy a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, or a GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, system, or laptop, you'll get a PC copy of Destiny 2 at Launch in October. Now you can't really say fairer than that.
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