Destiny 2 beta start times for PS4, Xbox One, PC and pre-orders

Destiny 2 offers players on all platforms a chance to try out the second shared-worlds shooter – and incidentally test Bungie's network infrastructure, which the studio worries may melt under launch demand.

The Destiny 2 beta kicks off on PS4 and Xbox One next week, with first access going to PS4 pre-orders or early access codes.

When you can begin playing the Destiny 2 beta depends on platform and whether you've pre-ordered, so consult the information below to get the times relevant to your situation.

We've listed the Destiny 2 beta start times in PT, which is Bungie's own timezone and the one it always refers to. If you click the time links in the Destiny 2 start times details below, you'll open a new tab showing the exact time in major cities in every time zone with daylight savings differences accounted for, making it easy to be certain you've got the correct information for your region.

• Destiny 2 beta – PS4 start times
  
  
  • Pre-order early access: 10:00am PT July 18
  • General access: 10:00am PT July 21
    
  
  

• Destiny 2 beta – Xbox One start times
  
  
  
  • Pre-order early access: 10:00am PT July 19
  • General access: 10:00am PT July 21
    
  
  

• Destiny 2 beta – PC
  
  
  
  • Pre-order early access: “late August”
  • General access: “late August”
    
  
  

Activision Blizzard sent along the time and dates for the Destiny 2 beta during E3 2017, so we had all the details you're after well in advance. No excuses for not having booked time off or planned a sickie!

Destiny 2 beta end times

Bungie and Activision Blizzard have not yet confirmed exact end times for the Destiny 2 beta. However, we do know the Destiny 2 console beta is scheduled to end on July 23, US time.

The first Destiny beta was extended and expanded after its initial success, so keep your fingers crossed the Destiny 2 beta end time will be pushed back, too. With any luck we'll get another few days out of it, although at six days we're already looking at a pretty generous amount of time. You should have plenty of opportunity to see and do everything in the initial offering by then. Speaking of which…

Destiny 2 beta content

Having initially only vaguely sketched out its plans, Bungie revealed the full Destiny 2 beta content two weeks before kick off.

Playing solo or in co-op, Destiny 2 beta testers can try out the Homecoming mission shown at the Destiny 2 reveal event, matchmake or group up for the Inverted Spire strike, and check out two Crucible (PvP) modes, Countdown and Control, on two maps, Midtown and Endless Vale.

Here are the full details from Activision:

• Homecoming: The opening mission and cinematics from Destiny 2's Red War story campaign.
• Countdown: Battle other Guardians in a brand new Crucible mode. Attack or Defend the base on a new map custom-built to support this new game type.
• Control: The original standard for Crucible combat is back, with some changes. Control the zones on another new map built with this objective in mind.
• The Inverted Spire: Strike at the heart of a Vex stronghold. Bring two willing allies, or let Matchmaking introduce you to a Fireteam of Guardians.
• New Subclasses: The new fighting style for each Class will be at the ready. Choose from the Dawnblade Warlock, Arcstrider Hunter, or Sentinel Titan.
  

Destiny 2 went down for extended maintenance a few weeks before the Destiny 2 beta. Since we know there will be no major updates to Destiny moving forward, this suggests Bungie is preparing its technology for the onslaught.

We expected to see a few more busts of downtime before the beta, and indeed Bungie has announced another outage on July 13 – this time for two hours between 8:00am PT and 10:00 PT. We may see further windows of Destiny downtime before the Destiny 2 beta kicks off – and almost certainly a few after it closes.

When announcing the Destiny 2 beta times and dates during E3 2017, Activision Blizzard also confirmed Destiny 2 releases September 6 on PS4 and Xbox One, two days earlier than anticipated. The PC version of Destiny 2 will release on October 24, the publisher added.

As ever, our Destiny 2 guide is freely available if you want to learn more about Bungie's next big thing. It's got subclass guides for the four we've seen so far, details on Exotics, and explanations of the new ammo and weapon systems. Bone up before the Destiny 2 beta.