New details regarding Destiny 2's PC beta were revealed this afternoon as part of Bungie’s weekly update. The content will largely be the same as what console players experienced a few weeks ago—with one obvious exception. PC players will have access to a new Control PvP map, Javelin-4. The news follows a system requirements and date announcement for the beta, set to run from August 28 to 31.
Bungie also noted that feedback from the console beta has led to tweaks which have been implemented in time for the PC version. “We’ve answered feedback on how often you have access to power ammo or your super abilities," said community manager Cozmo. "These changes will be subtle. If you were onboard for the console Beta, see if you can detect them.”
For an idea of what the feedback at the time was like, check out our comprehensive Destiny 2 beta impressions, which listed a number of things we'd like to see altered, most significant of which was the recharge time of player abilities and the drop rate of "power" ammo.
Below the fold in the update, some slightly more contentious news is hidden. Bungie is taking subtantial steps to prevent cheating on the PC, stating, “Some applications that people use when they play games try to add code to the game client. In the right hands, this can enable some nice features to enhance your experience as a player. In the wrong hands, this can be destructive to the world we share in the game. To help ensure that every player will have a fair shot at fun and glory in Destiny 2 on the PC, we’ll resist attempts from applications to add code to Destiny.”
That downside of that is some capture, streaming, and communications applications won’t work as expected, or at all. An accompanying post digs into exactly what to expect, but here’s what most players will have to worry about: OBS and XSplit’s Game Capture modes won’t work anymore, though Destiny 2 will work using screen and window capture modes in the same programs. Overlays from Discord and Mumble are a no-go too, as well as hardware monitoring overlays from EVGA Precision XOC, MSi Afterburner, and Fraps.
Blocking code-injection won’t be catastrophic, but for players that plant roots in their favorite programs, there may be some push back. Let’s hope it’s worth the trade-off. We'll be putting the beta through its paces later this month and reporting back on those balance changes, plus what it takes to get the game running at 4K 60 fps.
