Destiny 2 release date leaked? Rumoured artwork reveals early PS4 beta access

Alleged promotional artwork offers a first look at Destiny 2's new character designs.

Destiny Rise of Iron — A leaked poster for Destiny 2 may have confirmed the upcoming shooter's release date Bungie

A leaked retail store poster may have given away the release date for Destiny 2. The alleged promotional material, reportedly sourced from GameStop Italy, appears to confirm that Bungie's next game in the online first-person shooter franchise will launch on 8 September following a beta trial in May that could be exclusive to PS4 players.

The poster (below) first appeared on Italian site Lega Network, with Eurogamer later stating that the artwork and release details are legitimate based on unnamed industry sources. The poster shows three of the series' Guardians on a dusty planet, with each potentially representing the Warlock, Hunter, and Titan classes from the original PS4 and Xbox title.

The combination of an "Exclusive Content for PlayStation" logo and mention of a beta trial has triggered speculation that publisher Activision will bring timed-content and trial access to Sony's platform ahead of Microsoft's console, as was the case with certain DLC expansions and in-game items in the first game.

Aside from "confirming" the mega-sequel's age rating as PEGI 16 in the US market, the only other notable aspect of the poster is that each of the Guardians are not wearing a helmet while seemingly preparing for combat. In the first Destiny title, released in 2014, it was only possible to remove your avatar's helmet while at the game's peaceful hub, The Tower.

Both Activision and Bungie have confirmed that Destiny 2 will launch before the end of 2017, with Bungie recently assuring Destiny veterans that custom characters will carry over to the sequel in some form. Bungie has also confirmed that the Age of Triumph event, which start on 28 March, will be the final live event for the shooter ahead of the full sequel.

Until we receive official confirmation from either the series' publisher or developer, be sure to check out our extensive look at everything we know about Destiny 2 so far.