At the EA Play event in June 2020, EA finally revealed it is developing a brand-new Skate game after what felt like an eternity of rumors and false starts. After Skate 3 in 2010, this will be the first new instalment in the Skate series after a decade.
Skate 3 initially enjoyed mediocre popularity, but it saw a significant rise in numbers after YouTube superstar PewDiePie developed an obsession with the game’s mechanics. With skateboarding getting its Olympic debut in 2020, there has never been a better time for Skate 4.
The most recent episode of Full Circle’s The Board Room focused on the activities that players would be able to engage in the new Skate 4.
Skate 4 gets new developers
EA announced in January 2021 that it has formed the Full Circle development team to work on Skate 4. Along with EA Sports and Respawn Entertainment, the new studio is headquartered in Vancouver.
Hi! Yes, we’re still working on the next Skate and we officially formed a studio to prove it! https://t.co/Ha1Zf9omyI pic.twitter.com/2M3WNvzBxb
— skate. (@skate) January 27, 2021
Daniel McCulloch, the general manager of Full Circle and the past in-charge of Microsoft’s Xbox Live, made the following statement:
The fans wished Skate back into existence, and we want them to feel involved in the process from development to game launch and beyond. We’re all about having fun and making great games that people want to play with their friends.
Skate 4 release date
Regarding Skate 4’s release date, no formal statements have been made. Developers insist the date will be revealed once the game is complete. The only official announcement regarding the release date was by the publisher’s CEO statement in EA Q3 2022 that the game will “launch soon”.
Leaks
In March 2022, Tom Henderson, an experienced leaker, claimed that the game has been in playtesting for a significant amount of time, which suggests a release date would not be too far.
A small update here.
Multiple people have since reached out and have said that playtesting has been going on for months!
Maybe the origin API indicates something more could be happening? 🧐 https://t.co/kZLHb0Pswr
— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) March 26, 2022
VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb found a leaked video in April 2022 that had been uploaded to an Odysee burner account. We had a brief preview of some pre-alpha footage of the game. You can see in the footage that the game is still in its early phases. However, according to Grubb, the designers are paying special attention to the gameplay mechanics—possibly the most crucial element of a skateboarding game. There is obviously still a lot of work to be done, so this leak does not necessarily mean that it will be released soon.
This is Skate 4 pre-alpha footage. This is in line with what I've heard about where the game is at from multiple people. They're trying to get the feel right, which is probably the most important aspect of a Skate game. https://t.co/AXNV2Agk6z pic.twitter.com/nUINhghxLg
— Grubb (@JeffGrubb) April 20, 2022
Playtests by EA
At the end of June 2022, the publishers announced a signup page for playtesting Skate 4. They called the game stage “pre-pre-pre alpha”, which is not even close to the alpha stage of the game. You can sign up for the playtest if you have a PC and test the game through its development, although there is no guarantee of selection.
we're 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 working on it, but it's time for you to see what we've been up to. become a skate. insider and sign-up for playtesting at https://t.co/7Hh4xsMBxw 🛹 pic.twitter.com/WU8fto8HUj
— skate. (@skate) June 30, 2022
Their social media is also posting monthly highlights of the playtests by players and uploading content regarding the insider playtest.
Skate 4 will be free to play!
On July 14, 2022, it was revealed during “The Board Room” live stream that the next Skate game will operate mostly as a free-to-play MMO. The developers are not considering the game a sequel; rather, they are treating it as a stand-alone title that will get several upgrades throughout the years, such as new content releases and seasonal drops.
Since it’s a free-to-play game, there will be microtransactions to help monetize the title. The developers have promised there will be no pay-to-win style items. Despite rumors and reports of the game having Loot Boxes, the developers insist there will be no loot boxes in their livestreams.
Cross-play and platforms
During “The Board Room” session, developers indicated that Skate 4 will feature cross-platform and cross-progression play. This means that players of Skate 4 on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox may all team up if they desire. A mobile version of Skate 4 is also in the works.
The developers announced through a post on their social media to confirm that the game will be available to play on PC and will be the first game in the series to do so. The Skate FAQ states that Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, and PS5 will all be able to play Skate 4 in addition to PC. Additionally, it says the developers “are currently exploring mobile.”
The long-awaited fourth installment in the Skate series is still very much in the works, and its developers continue to give somewhat frequent updates on their plans through their live streams and highlights of playtests.
