EA’s new Skate is finally playable for everyone via free Early Access. Although the skateboarding feels good, most players don’t love the Fortnite-ification (or the copious microtransactions and Sims-esque looking character models) of the iconic skate sim. The developers at Full Circle have heard these complaints about the high-contrast visuals and, with the imminent launch of Season 1, will address the game’s look to feel “more grounded and lived in.”
In a lengthy X post, Full Circle reiterated that the look of the game is ever-evolving. Referencing an August 15 blog, where the team promised that Skate’s aesthetic would improve to add “even more detail and personality,” Full Circle revealed what this “detail and personality” will start to look like when Season 1 drops on October 7.
The change, as part of update .28 arriving on the same day as Season 1, gives San Vansterdam a “more grounded and lived in” feel. What Full Circle showed off was a drop in contrast, washing the world in a golden glow. The team said this is “San Van at ‘Golden Hour.'”
“While this is only Step One of what will be an ongoing development of the game’s visuals, we want to give you a sneak peek today,” Full Circle posted on X. “And once this update releases [on October 7], we want your feedback so we can keep improving and iterating.”
That’s in the more immediate future. Looking ahead into December and beyond, Seasons 2 and 3 (and…beyond) will introduce new content such as customization items, “legacy game modes” from the Skate franchise, challenges, seasonal events like Skate-o-Ween and the 7 Ply Maple Harvest, and party voice chat, alongside quality-of-life improvements and more additions. That does include new tricks, with Season 2 adding impossible and improved handplants while Season 3 brings darkslides and improved footplants. That’s sick.
What’s really sick, though, is that you don’t have to pay for them. Yes, Seasons 1, 2, and 3 (and beyond) will always introduce some microtransactions–particularly thanks to the imminent inclusion of the Skate Pass–however, when new tricks drop, your wallet stays closed.
“You will never have to pay for new tricks,” Full Circle reiterated in a Q&A towards the end of its X post. “As we add new tricks to skate., you’ll have access to them as soon as they come to the game (update may be required), and they’ll become part of Challenges to help keep up your skill. Once added, a trick will never go away.”
Still, it’s hard to tell if any of these updates will assuage the skateboarding community. The game currently sits at a “mixed” rating on Steam (with over 22,000 reviews at the time of this writing) and some scathing criticism from gaming outlets like Eurogamer, IGN, and PC Gamer. It might not look realistic, but at the very least, the skateboarding to enjoyable.
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