It took 15 years for a new Skate game for fans to enjoy, but we finally got one. He knows that for now, the Skate™ series simply isn’t ready to be played, even for those lucky enough to sign into the Skate™ Early Access version that EA and developer Full Circle confirmed yesterday will open its doors on September 16, 2025. Skate will be free to download on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One—it’s the franchise’s first major entry since Skate 3 back in 2010.
The new city is called San Vansterdam, and that was revealed after a short trailer announcing the game will be in Skate Early Access before launching its the cover art for the game. This entry, however, is a free-to-play live service title with cosmetic microtransactions requiring the player to be connected to the internet at all times, unlike the classic trilogy. EA is confident that going modern will work out, though skepticism still lingers from the return of the Tony Hawk games.
Executive producer Mike McCartney stated that Skate Early Access is a full step forward, not just some kind of honest-to-goodness Skate revival:
Skate properly captures the sense of freedom, creative expression and community that is inherently part of skateboarding — and together with players, we are building the future of this franchise.
We’re talking about a studio that has promoted community development all along. Skate Early Access — In the words of head of creative Jeff Seamster, “Ever since we announced Skate, we’ve wanted to be open and welcoming to old-timers and newcomers:
“A city designed for skating, a community that maintains it alive, no gatekeepers, no windows
Of course, concerns remain. While that might sound fun, the players who shared concern over the early access model in the game’s subreddit are worried that development may not focus on gameplay and instead become more monetization driven — although that’s part of the reason there is an early access model in place, to allow the fans to help steer what development focuses on. But assuming Full Circle nails the mechanics, the live-service components can be forgiven.
The countdown to September 16 is now on, though, and if Skate Early Access lives up to that hype, because that’s what everyone will be watching when it comes to the launch of the game. But for the moment skating fans can prepare to drop back into the streets of San Vansterdam and help define what the future of the franchise will be.
FAQs
Simultaneously, Skate Early Access becomes available September 16, 2025.
The game will be free-to-play on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
Correct, Skate Early Access is a free to play live service title containing cosmetic microtransactions.
