Full Circle surprised players today by revealing Skate., the game formerly known as Skate 4 will actually be a new free-to-play game and will feature microtransactions that won’t include pay to win mechanics or have “gameplay-altering advantages”. The game is currently aiming for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, and there’s even a mobile version planned. Nintendo Switch hasn’t been mentioned, though.
Skate 4 will not have pay to win microtransactions
As can be expected from the free-to-play game formerly known as Skate 4, Skate. will have microtransactions. As explained in the latest Board Room video, the microtransactions will be based around cosmetics, seasonal drops, and live events but will never include pay-to-win options or loot boxes. No gameplay will be locked behind a paywall. The team is taking inspiration from free-to-play games like Apex Legends where spending money is totally optional. Creative director Cuz Parry also explained why the game won’t be called Skate 4:
“This isn’t a sequel. It’s not a remake. It’s not a reboot, a prequel; it’s not any of that. It’s not a remake or a remaster, whatever ‘re’ you can do. This is it, it’s Skate. We’re in this for the long haul. That means we’re not an iterative title. There won’t be a Skate 5 through 10. We won’t be pumping them out all the time. We’re going to do this. We’re going to listen to what you guys say over the course of time, and put the features that you guys want into it. Okay, and one more time for the people in the back, it’s Skate. It’s NOT Skate 4. Just Skate. Period. That’s why we put a little period after it.”
Skate. will be a constantly evolving world called San Vansterdam with community-created content. Skate.’s creative director Deran Chung told The Verge the game is “an authentic evolution of the franchise and taking what Skate 3 was in 2010 and bringing it to now and to the future.” This community-created content will include CollaboZones, which are areas created between multiple players before being shared into the worlds of other players in real-time, although they will also be policed. The above video showed off some of the CollaboZones, such as a massive ramp and grind rails with a death wish. However, the list of content in the final version of the game is far from being finalized as it depends on community feedback.
The game will be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC and will have crossplay and cross-progression. They’re also looking at a mobile version, although development for that is a lot further behind. Those wanting to know when Skate. will come out will be disappointed to find there is no release date yet. The game’s release date is still “a long ways away” and is unlikely to be 2022. Those wanting to play the game this year, though, can sign up to be a Skate Insider and EA playtester through the EA website.
In other news, Multiversus enters early access next week before an open beta will allow all players access to the game for months to come. Elsewhere, the Fall Guys July 14 patch saw the Pusheen items temporarily removed from the store while the team sorted out login issues.
