Skate’s Shocking Downgrade: What’s Missing in 2025’s Early Access

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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.

It’s been confirmed that the revamped version of the classic game Skate will debut in an early access phase in 2025. However, unlike its predecessors, this new iteration won’t include an offline mode. Instead, it will be a free-to-play game with microtransactions. Members who are part of the Skate Insiders program can start exploring parts of San Vansterdam later this year as a sneak peek for global gamers.

2020 marked the unveiling of the refreshed version of the game “Skate”, which followed the initial encounter with “Skate 3”, the last installment in the series, back in 2010. Anticipation for this game grew steadily as we moved towards the first playtests in 2022. In recent times, EA has broadened its playtesting scope to encompass a wider range of users and platforms such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Fans have been well-aware of what “Skate” entails, but they’re still eagerly waiting for the early access launch.

This year, the game “Skate” is set to start its early access phase without an offline mode, as stated by EA and Full Circle in their first blog post titled “The Grind”. The developers have revealed that “Skate” and its virtual city are designed to be a dynamic, always-online, and ever-evolving massive multiplayer skateboarding environment. Players can expect alterations to the city over time due to live events and various in-game activities. To realize this concept, it’s essential for “Skate” to maintain a constant network connection, just as it did during the playtest.

Skate Will Not Have an Offline Mode When the Early Access Version Launches in 2025

Skate’s initial rollout is considered as the kickoff for its live playground, and additional features and enhancements will be added over time after the launch. The contentious microtransactions seen during the playtest will be part of the early access version and final release. The developers emphasize that the money spent on San Van Bucks, Skate’s in-game premium currency, contributes to the game’s continued development while maintaining a fair system for all players.

In the pre-release trials for both PC and PlayStation versions of ‘Skate’, rigorous testing is ongoing to gather player opinions on microtransactions and identify any potential problems or difficulties. It’s important to mention that the San Van Bucks spent during these trials will be carried over to the early access version of Skate when it launches this year, meaning if a player spends $20 in San Van Bucks, they will receive an equivalent amount when Skate becomes available in early access.

Despite the disappointment of no offline mode for dedicated Skate enthusiasts, they still have a chance to participate in testing some of the game’s elements. EA has announced that a significant number of playtest invites for Skate will be distributed in June. Further information about the game’s early access version will also be shared in the following months.

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2025-04-26 06:23