Update: The beta is back online now.
Bungie shared the full schedule for Destiny's beta today. The schedule reveals that the PS4 and PS3 test will be shutting down for several days for maintenance.
"Guardians, you have one day to enjoy the Destiny Beta on your PlayStation," said Bungie community manager David Dague on the company's forums. "Early Monday morning (Pacific Time), we'll shut down services for a planned maintenance window that will help us prepare for the main event."
The beta servers will stay offline through Monday and Tuesday. The test will then relaunch on PS4 and PS3 on Wednesday, July 23rd. Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners will be able to jump into the beta on that date as well.
Phase Two of Destiny's beta will be much the same as the first part. Players will be able to play through the opening missions of the game with any of the three classes. They can rise up to level 8, picking up new abilities and equipment along the way. The testers can also test their skills in PvP battles. The companion app on iOS and Android allows players to start Clans and manage their characters.
Bungie spiced up the beta this weekend with a special PvP events called Iron Banner. Iron Banner matches featured two additional maps along with exclusive rewards. Dague said that more limited-time engagements like this are coming later in the test.
The next special event for Destiny's beta could be coming on Saturday. The beta schedule says that July 26th will bring "special rewards and surprises."
"You want to be there for that day," Bungie said in Friday's Weekly Update. "Report for Beta testing duty at 2PM Pacific. Your rewards will be handsome and permanent."
The word "permanent" is the key one. While most of your progress and equipment will be getting wiped at the end of the beta, Bungie's going to leave the testers with something special for their efforts. It remains to be seen whether those rewards for the full game will be merely cosmetic or have some utility.
If you don't already have a beta key, you can get one by pre-ordering Destiny. If you find the idea of pre-ordering a game to find out whether it's worth that money in the first place, you could always try your luck at giveaways on various game sites. Characters created on the PS4 beta can be used on the PS3 test and vice versa. The Xbox One and Xbox 360 tests are compatible in the same way.
Destiny's beta will end on all platforms on July 27th. After that, gamers will have to wait until the official launch on September 9th to continue their adventures. The final game will hopefully be much improved over its beta version:
