Summary
- EA and Full Circle's Skate reboot enters early access in 2025, but the game lacks an offline mode.
- The Skate developers note that the game's setting, San Vansterdam, will evolve and change over time in an always online sandbox.
- More playtest invites will be sent out in June 2025 ahead of the early access launch.
EA confirmed that the new Skate reboot will enter early access in 2025, but the game will not have an offline mode like previous entries in the series. The new Skate game will be free-to-play with microtransactions, and members of the Skate Insiders program can experience some of what San Vansterdam has to offer for gamers around the world later this year.
The Skate reboot was revealed in 2020, nearly a decade after players experienced Skate 3, the latest entry in the series, for the first time in 2010. Excitement for the game continued to build leading up to the first Skate playtests in 2022. In recent years, EA expanded its playtests to more users and platforms, including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Fans have known what to expect from Skate for a while now, although the wait continues for its early access release.
The Case For a Skate Trilogy Rerelease Before Skate 4
With EA moving to revive the Skate franchise later this year, the original hardware-locked trilogy could use a bit of attention.
Skate will enter early access later this year without an offline mode, according to EA and Full Circle's first "The Grind" blog post. The developers explain that Skate and the in-game city are designed to be a "living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox" that's always online and evolving. Skate players will notice changes to the city over time with live events and other in-game activities. To fulfill this vision, Skate must require a live network connection just like in the playtest.
Skate Will Not Have an Offline Mode When the Early Access Version Launches in 2025
EA notes that Skate's early access launch will be "Day One" of the live sandbox experience, and new features and improvements will be implemented in the weeks and months following the launch. Skate's controversial microtransactions from the playtest will be present in the early access version and the full release. The developers note that money spent on San Van Bucks, the in-game paid currency, will support the ongoing development of Skate while offering a system that feels fair to all players.
Extensive testing is being conducted in the PC and PlayStation playtests of Skate in order to gauge player feedback about the microtransactions and "catch any issues or pain points." It's worth noting that the San Van Bucks spent during the playtest will be transferred to the early access version of Skate upon launch. For example, if a player spends $20 in San Van Bucks, they will receive the same amount in return when Skate launches in early access this year.
Although the lack of an offline mode may be disheartening for longtime Skate fans, they will have an opportunity to get into the playtest to try some of the game's features. EA confirmed that a large wave of playtest invites for Skate will be sent out in June. More details about the game's early access version will be revealed in the coming months as well.
- Released
- September 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Crude Humor, Lyrics, Mild Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Full Circle
- Publisher(s)
- EA
- Engine
- Frostbite
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Sports, MMO, Open-World
