A return to the skateboarding world of Skate has been in the works at EA for a couple of years now, with it even opening a brand-new studio, Full Circle, in 2021 to develop the new entry. Today, the team involved gave an update on the project, revealing new information like the new Skate being a free-to-play game.
The game"s name is simply “Skate.”, dropping out from the numbered entries seen before. Instead of being a sequel, prequel, or a remake of the original, Full Circle explained the new game as a platform it wants to build over the years with new content, gameplay elements, seasonal drops, and more.
The plan is to build the title as the fans want it, instead of creating new sequels over the years. “It’s not Skate 4. Just Skate. Period. That’s why we put a little period after it,” added creative director Cuz Parry.
With Skate. going free-to-play, microtransactions will be a part of it as expected, but the studio assured fans that paid advantages, playerbase dividing content, and loot boxes will not be there. “We are taking inspiration from games like Apex Legends and other popular titles that are free to play, where spending money is totally optional, and it’s mostly about cosmetics and convenience,” the studio said.
The game will feature cross-play and cross-progression across all platforms, including last-gen and current-gen consoles, as well as PC. There are plans to bring the game to mobile too with the same cross-play and progression aspects.
Skate. currently does not have a launch date attached to it, but it is coming to PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 first, with it hitting mobile devices later. Head here to catch the latest gameplay reveal and information on how to join the ongoing playtests.