As the Xbox and PlayStation betas prepare for release, Bungie announced today that Battle.net accounts can be linked to Bungie.net accounts. Additionally, the PC release date has (finally) been announced to be October 24th.
This is certainly later than many hoped; with a PC beta scheduled in August, though, this should give Bungie and Vicarious Visions sufficient time to deliver a great PC port. For now, preorders are live on the Blizzard app and all major retailers. A preorder will also grant access to the upcoming beta.
So what does this mean for PC gamers? Well, prior to Destiny’s original launch in 2013, the game was hotly anticipated to release for PC. Multiple reports seemed to confirm this notion, but hopes were dashed as Destiny released as a console exclusive, and future expansions released with no word. It’s easy to imagine that this snub was a prominent reason for The Division’s high pre-order numbers; pushed by massive PC sales, the Ubisoft competitor passed even Destiny’s own massive preorder numbers.
The Division, however, failed to take hold, and anticipation once again simmered as Kotaku reported in 2016 that Destiny 2 was coming soon, and would include PC. GameStop claims that Destiny 2’s preorder figures approach the highest in company history, and a strong PC launch could propel the game to success. As I’ve previously remarked, the exclusion of PC from the main launch date an beta will hurt the game’s preorder numbers in the long haul.
But an impressive August beta could reverse this. As James Duggan of IGN points out in the weekly Fireteam Chat, PC players have been starved of MMOs as of late. The Elder Scrolls: Online is only just beginning to pick up steam, and with the collapse of The Division, Bungie could strike gold. If it takes extra time, proof of a quality product can go a long way. And I’d rather Bungie cultivate a dedicated community than pump preorder numbers.
I’ll be streaming the Destiny 2 Beta on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at their respective launches. Stay tuned for more, as I dig into the lore and hidden secrets of the game.