Skate Players Are Not Happy About the Season 3 Update

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Players of the game Skate are upset with EA and Full Circle, the game’s developer, claiming they’ve broken a promise. Previously, the developers said that new areas in the game would always be free, but the latest update, Season 3, introduces a system where accessing the new area requires players to pay. Many players feel this goes against the game’s free-to-play model.

The game Skate first became available on PC and consoles in September 2025 as an early access title. Since then, it’s had two seasons of new content released every few months. The current season, “Future Radical,” began on December 2nd and will last until March 3rd, with Season 3 scheduled to launch on March 10th. The developers, Full Circle, have recently started revealing details about the next update, which has sparked some debate among players.

Fans Criticize Skate Over Isle of Grom Paywall

Players noticed back in February that the developers of Skate promised all new maps would be free for everyone. However, Full Circle has changed plans for Season 3. The new map, Isle of Grom, which expands on the tutorial area, will initially only be available to players who buy the next skate.Pass Premium. While this limited access is meant to be temporary, many players are upset about the idea of having to pay to access a map in the game.

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Full Circle is releasing the Isle of Grom in stages. From March 10th to April 14th, only players with a skate.Pass Premium subscription will have access. Then, from April 14th to May 5th, all players can enjoy the island during a special, limited-time event. After that, from May 5th to June 2nd, free-to-play players can visit for 24 hours by spending 500 Rip Chips, which can be earned in the game. Some players are unhappy with this approach, feeling it’s similar to paying to rent a map and worry it could become the standard for accessing future locations after their initial release.

Electronic Arts responded to player complaints about recent changes in Skate by explaining how the game is being developed. In a February 19th tweet, the official Skate account acknowledged that plans sometimes shift during the development of early access games, calling it an unavoidable part of the process. While the tweet received over 100,000 views, it didn’t resolve the criticism. Many players felt Skate shouldn’t have emphasized its promise of “no paid maps” – featuring it in their FAQ and even as a Discord sticker – if that commitment wasn’t firm. The main issue for these players isn’t that Season 3 is experimental, but that a key promise about the game’s future content is being broken.

Season 3 of Skate will take players beyond the Isle of Grom, and the new content is expected to be well-received. Full Circle has hinted at improvements to the skate.Pass, with more rewards tied to real-world brands like Adidas, along with updated in-game stores and a new “Premium+” package. Players can also anticipate another update detailing new gameplay features, promising additions like darkslides and more realistic street environments.

It’s still uncertain if recent complaints about how players access the Season 3 map will impact how many people continue to play the game. Current numbers on Steam show around 2,000 players online at the same time, which is a significant drop – a 98% decrease – compared to the game’s peak player base in September 2025. The developers, Full Circle, have said the game will be in early access for at least another year, but haven’t given a firm date for the full release.

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2026-02-21 04:07