Back in the day, Skate was EA’s response to Activision’s Tony Hawk franchise. It was the game of choice for actual skateboarders, serving up a more realistic and gritty simulation of street and vert skating and included pretty much every pro skater who wasn’t Tony Hawk. Now, over a decade later, the series returns with free-to-play early-access beginning September 16th—and a new gameplay trailer to celebrate it.
The reimagined entry, simply called skate. doesn’t change much in the way of technique. An improved flick-it system has been added but veterans can still enjoy a classic control and the low-slung third-person POV, a hallmark of the originals, returns to capture every flip, grind and air players catch.
What is brand new, and really does feel fresh, is the entire world of San Vansterdam, a sprawling, open-world metropolis full of carefully (and abundantly) placed ramps, ledges and scalable buildings, all just waiting to be the setting of a sick set of tricks. Every inch of the city is made for skating, begging newbies and old-timers alike to pull off the biggest airs and wildest grinds.
Creativity is the only limit here. On the rare occasion that the world itself doesn’t provide the absolutely perfect line, an easy to use world forge is available to drop an opportune rail or quarter pipe in the perfect position to get that expertly timed trick exactly the way it was envisioned. An extensive replay editor is also built-in to capture the footage and share with the world.
There’s an enormous amount to explore and it’s all available and free to play on September 16th on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, P4 and PC. Cross-platform play and progression will also be available right off the bat so gather up friends no matter which console they’re on, lace up the old Airwalks and prepare to shred. In the meantime, watch the trailer below.