Skate 3 Just Turned 15 and We Finally Got Some News on the New 'skate.,' so Here’s Everything We Know Right Now
The next game in the Skate franchise, skate., was announced back in 2020, and news from the developer Full Circle has been relatively quiet surrounding the game. With the 15th anniversary of Skate 3, we decided to compile everything we know about the new game, including the latest update from EA’s recent earnings call.
On May 7th, EA held their quarterly earnings call, and said they expected the new skate. to drop by March 2026. It had been previously announced that skate. would release in 2025, so this confirmation is definitely encouraging. In April, EA said on the Skate website that they hoped to release “Early Access later this year.” So we could potentially see the early access in 2025, and the full release in 2026, or the early access and release of the game just staggered in 2025. Regardless, putting a statement like that in an earnings call is usually a more concrete announcement versus updating a website because those calls directly impact their bottom line.
The new skate. game is already in playtesting, both on PC and console, and will be set in a brand new city, “San Vansterdam.” The game will also be free-to-play, which is a new business model for the Skate franchise. In an interview with the Verge back in 2024, Deran Chung, a creative director on Skate, said the game will be “not only an evolution of the franchise, but it’s an evolution of where skateboarding is and was from 2010 to now and also where games are from then to now.”
So far the major storyline is that San Vansterdam has been freed from the evil corporation M-Corp, but they’ve left the city in a huge mess. Players will work together to clean up the city and welcome new visitors. As detailed in their 2024 development update, the city is “under construction,” but has lots of lore to help you feel immersed as you discover the city. Seasonal updates will include new expansions to the city, as well as new tricks, customization and more.
The signature “Flick it” system that Skate fans know and love is getting an upgrade, with an emphasis on improving the accuracy and control of tricks. There will also be a new streamline control option for new players to help them learn the skills to pull off their favorite tricks. “Off-the-board” gameplay will also be greatly enhanced, allowing players to climb throughout the city and skate in new places they discover. The game’s soundtrack will evolve overtime with seasonal updates, and the different neighborhoods throughout San Vansterdam will have different musical vibes. The replay function is also coming back, so players will be able to share clips with friends after landing insane tricks (or smacking the pavement).
The big emphasis in the new skate. will be the multiplayer features. Full Circle wants to make it as easy as possible to add your friends to a game, quick drop objects for everyone to use, and create a “throwdown” to challenge your friends. You can also play with other people online, and collaborate with them on pop up activities that will drop in the city over time. skate. will have cross-play and cross-progression from the jump, and will launch on PC, last gen consoles and new gen consoles.
With the franchise moving into the free-to-play model, they’ve announced the new game will have microtransactions. So far, they’ve stressed that these purchases won’t have any pay-to-win implications and will only focus on cosmetics for your skater. When new areas of the city are added, you can expect them to be free.
EA has a pretty terrible relationship with microtransactions, but hopefully by containing them to cosmetics, they won’t feel too intrusive. Strangely enough, not only are the microtransactions live in the playtesting, but they require real money already. Full Circle said that these purchases would be refunded for in game currency when the game finally releases. Putting real money into a game that hasn’t launched yet is pretty insane, but hey, if you love the playtest that much, it’s your money to spend.
With Summer Game Fest nearly upon us, and the start of the summer, we wouldn’t be surprised if a deep-dive into the new skate. gets announced soon, or even a release window update. We hear Fall 2025 is pretty open!
