Skate Goes Free-To-Play, Still No Release Date

Electronic Arts have kept its cards close all summer, but we are finally getting some news on upcoming titles. The latest rumors suggest that EA will show off Skate, Need For Speed, and FIFA 23 sometime this month, in July. Finally, the American publisher gave us a massive news dump for its upcoming Skate game in the form of a Board Room showcase. Skate will be free-to-play, but no release date is official yet. 

Not Skate 4, Just Skate

Developer Full Circle is made up of new developers and some Skate veterans from the original games. Creative Director Cuz Parry stated that Electronic Arts gave his team a chance to pitch a new Skate game, which was later approved for development. Full Circle chose to name the next title in the series just Skate because it’s not an iterative series anymore.

The isn’t a sequel; it’s not a remake. It’s not a reboot; a prequel, it’s not any of that. 

We’re in it for the long haul. There won’t be a Skate 5 through 10; we won’t be pumping them out all the time. – Cuz Parry

Going Free-to-Play

Full Circle’s newest skateboard title will continue to evolve in the new city of San Vansterdam, which Parry describes as the sister city to San Vanelona. The development team’s ambition is to create a Skate game that never ends. The team will actively support the game with new content releases, gameplay updates, and seasonal drops. In addition, Skate will be cross-platform and cross-progression on all consoles and PC, with mobile still in the early stages of development. Full Circle calls this the no barriers approach to game design, where everyone can play together. 

The Hard Question: Microtransactions?

Of course, with Skate being a free-to-play game, the developers needed to find a way to make money from this project. Full Circle will focus on cosmetic microtransaction and follow strict guidelines that you can check out below.

• Not pay to win
• No map areas locked behind paywalls
• No paid loot boxes
• No paid gameplay advantages

When can we SKATE?!

There isn’t a release date for Skate, but Full Circle is pushing players to sign up for their playtest. The company wants to get the gameplay down first before moving forward with other game areas. This could mean that Skate is slightly further out than we thought. However, with continuous feedback from fans, Skate could have a grand release; we just hope it’s soon. 

How do you feel about Skate going free-to-play? Are you worried about the future of the series? Let us know in the comments.

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