EA and Full Circle Games shared another development update for skate., the long-awaited new entry in the skateboarding game series. While they still aren’t committing to a release window for the full game yet, we did learn that console playtests will begin later this year, in the fall. We also received a thorough overview of what to expect from the final release.
It was reaffirmed that skate. will be a free-to-play game that will be available across PC, last-gen consoles, current-gen consoles, and mobile. It will feature crossplay and cross-progression when it launches. Right now, playtesting is only taking place on PC, but at the end of the development update, Full Circle confirmed that console playtests are coming later this year. Considering that’s where a lot of skate.’s audience is, it’s great to hear that it will finally be playable on game consoles soon, even if it isn’t the full game.
As for the game itself, skate. will take place in a city called San Vansterdam. There, players will be able to skate around it with others – EA’s calling it a “massively multiplayer” skateboarding game. The city’s downtown district is what was primarily showcased, with the developers explaining how they want to put a lot of depth into the world so players are constantly finding new spots where they can skate in the game. Players will also have the ability to set down their own objects to skate on anywhere in the city with a Quick Drop feature and create their own events called Throwdowns.
On the gameplay front, a refined version of the series’ Flick-It dual-stick control scheme returns with a lot of new tricks, although a “streamlined controls” option will also be present to help newer players out. There will be social features that make it possible for groups of players to party up and complete challenges together, as well as tons of customization options for everything from the skateboards to the socks players wear. A Replay feature will also allow players to capture their gameplay so they can share it with others.
Of course, skate. is also going to be a live game, so the available tricks, music, customization elements, modes, and areas of San Vansterdam will evolve over time. We don’t exactly know when things will kick off with the game’s launch yet, but the impending console playtest suggests development is moving along well.
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