EA's eagerly awaited revival of Skate will necessitate a continuous internet connection, as confirmed by developer Full Circle in an updated FAQ on their official blog. The team provided a straightforward response to the possibility of offline play: "No." They elaborated that the game and its city are envisioned as a dynamic, massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that thrives on being "always online and always evolving." This design allows for both significant updates, such as evolving city landscapes, and smaller, frequent changes through live events and in-game activities.
The "always on" requirement signifies that even solo players will need an internet connection, aligning with Full Circle's vision of a connected skateboarding world. The developer 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 evaluate the game within a continuously running live environment.
Looking ahead, Skate’s early access is slated for 2025, though a specific date remains unannounced. Initially revealed during EA Play way back in 2020, the game was described as being in its early stages. Since then, Full Circle has engaged the community with closed community playtests of early builds and recently introduced microtransactions.
Players can use real-world currency to purchase a virtual currency known as San Van Bucks (SVB), which can then be spent on cosmetic items. Full Circle is keen to refine Skate’s microtransaction system, encouraging a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." They acknowledged the unusual nature of using real money in a playtest but emphasized its importance in fine-tuning the system before the official launch. The team assured players that any money spent during playtesting would be converted into SVB upon the reset for the Early Access launch, with potential adjustments to pricing and other elements being part of the testing process.
