Destiny 2 on the PC will use Blizzard's 'Global Play' region locking
You can choose to play wherever you like, but you'll be restricted to playing with others in the same region.
With the Destiny 2 early access PC beta set to get underway today for those who've pre-ordered, Bungie has clarified how the game's region system will work. Because the game runs through Blizzard's Battle.net client instead of Steam, it will make use of the same Global Play system as other Blizzard games, such as Overwatch and Hearthstone: Players will have the ability to select which region they want to play in, but will only be able to see games and play with people who are also in that region.
"When players launch Destiny 2 from the Blizzard desktop application, they will have the option to select their region of play. If the player takes no action to change their region, it will match the default region of the player's Blizzard account," the help page states. "Players who wish to change their Blizzard region may do so by closing the Destiny 2 application, visiting the Destiny 2 landing page in the Blizzard desktop application, and selecting their desired region from the drop down above 'Play'."
So even if you're in the Americas region, for instance, you can still play with people in Europe or Asia if you like. The only catch is that you won't be able to play with anyone outside of your selected region, or even see them in your friends list or clan roster, which could prove troublesome for anyone with ideas of forming or joining an international clan. On the upside, it's not stated on the help page but Activision has confirmed that player progression will carry over between regions.
The Destiny 2 PC beta is slated to get underway at 10 am PT/1 pm ET on August 28—that's today!—for anyone who's preordered the game, and August 29 for everyone else, and will run until August 31. Naturally, we'll be diving into it ourselves and sharing our thoughts with you as soon as we can.
Thanks, VG247.
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Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.