Destiny PS4 Alpha Extended, Characters Will Be Wiped Before Beta

Destiny's PS4 alpha test was supposed to conclude on Sunday night. However, Bungie's decided to keep the servers running for a bit longer.

The PS4 alpha test for Destiny lets players experience a vertical slice of the game. They can face off against other players in one Crucible mode. If they're in a cooperative mood, they can head to Earth's surface to play story-based missions.

The alpha also gives PS4 owners a taste of the game's customization. They can create a distinct appearance for their character and choose from three classes. These alpha characters can be advanced from level 4 to 8 and outfitted with new abilities and equipment along the way.

Destiny's beta test is scheduled to launch on July 17th. Unlike the alpha, the beta will be available on PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One as well. This later test will probably offer some different missions for players to tackle, too.

Whatever the content of the beta is, one thing will definitely be different: your character. Bungie says that you won't be able to continue your alpha character's adventures in the next phase of testing:

Was anyone really expecting Bungie to let them keep their alpha characters, though? The test started players at level 4, after all. It seemed pretty clear that Bungie didn't intend for players to keep these characters in the long term. Even if Bungie allowed alpha characters to be imported into beta, they wouldn't have survived past that phase. Might as well lose your Guardian now before you get too attached.

Bungie gave out alpha invites to pretty much everyone who wanted them this weekend. I was among the horde of PS4 players checking out the game. While I enjoyed my hours with the alpha considerably, I was left with a few lingering concerns. You can read my full thoughts on the alpha here.

Destiny will launch worldwide on September 9th on PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.