EA's eagerly awaited revival of Skate will mandate a continuous internet connection, as revealed in an updated FAQ on the official blog from developer Full Circle. They provided a straightforward response: "No," explaining that "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving." This means players will witness both significant evolutions, such as city changes over time, and smaller, dynamic updates like live events and other in-game activities.
The requirement for an "always on" connection implies that the game cannot be played offline, even for those who wish to skate solo. Full Circle emphasized their vision of creating a connected skateboarding world, stating, "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection."
This news likely won't come as a shock to those who participated in the playtests. Full Circle noted, "That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest," referencing the Always-On Playtest that began in September 2024. This phase aims to test the game in a continuously live environment with servers operating 24/7.
Skate’s early access is slated for 2025, though a specific date remains undisclosed. The project, announced during EA Play back in 2020, was described as being in its "very early" stages at the time. Since then, Full Circle has engaged the community through closed community playtests of early builds and recently introduced microtransactions.
Players can use real money to purchase a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which is used to acquire cosmetic items. Full Circle is keen on ensuring a smooth microtransaction experience, stating their desire for players to have a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." They acknowledged that using real money in a playtest is unconventional but believe it's essential for fine-tuning the system before the official launch. They also reassured players that any money spent during playtesting will be refunded in San Van Bucks (SVB) upon the reset for the Early Access launch, and that changes in pricing or other aspects should be expected as part of the testing process.
