Although many gamers first think of Tony Hawk when it comes to skating games, EA’s Skate series looms nearly as large. These skateboarding games claimed fans’ hearts with the unique “Flick-It” controls that gave it a unique twist on the genre. Naturally, many fans were excited to see EA’s latest entry in the series, Skate. But as the game launched into Early Access, many players found that it wasn’t quite the experience they were hoping for.
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It’s been 15 years since the previous entry in the Skate series, Skate 3. With so much time between that installment and the new Skate, fans have had plenty of time to drum up big expectations. After years of playtesting, Skate finally launched into Early Access on September 16th. As fans got a chance to jump into the free-to-play skateboarding game, the response has earned the game a Mixed review rating on Steam. Here’s what early adopters are saying about the newest game, and where Full Circle and EA might be able to go from here.
Skate Suffers from Missing Features & Monetization in Early Access
It’s not unusual for games to hit the Mixed rating when launching in Early Access. After all, Early Access can mean a lot of different things depending on the game. Some, like Hades 2, already feel robust and polished, while other games, like Runescape: Dragonwilds are pretty bare bones in the early stages. For some gamers, missing features during Early Access are a dealbreaker, and this certainly looks to be some of the issue with Skate. But as with many free-to-play games, that’s not the whole story.
Negative reviews for Skate ask after many missing features from prior games, with questions about Story Mode, Pro Skaters, Hall of Meat, and more. For many fans, these missing features make it feel like the charm and soul of the Skate series “has been stripped away.” Along with the missing game modes, many players feel there isn’t enough mission variety in the game so far, making it feel repetitive pretty quickly.
The Early Access plan for the game doesn’t specifically call out plans to add these modes, but Full Circle does note plans to add “new features, improvements, live events, and seasonal content” over time. So it’s possible some of these missing elements will come back in due time, particularly as more players offer feedback asking for them. Additional missions are almost certainly a given, which will hopefully help give Skate a bit more variety. That said, prior statements from the developers suggest a traditional Story Mode may not be in the plans for Skate this time around.
Many early issues with Skate focus on the gameplay itself. But of course, monetization will also factor into the equation with reviews for a free-to-play title. Games like Skate and the many free-to-play juggernauts before it make their money via offering “optional” in-game purchases. This leads many free entries in popular franchises towards accusations of being cash grabs, and Skate has not managed to avoid this critique. Some players are frustrated by the game’s prompts to spend money, adding that all of the free customization options are boring by design.
Despite some negative reviews, not everyone is disappointed with Skate. As a free skating game, the basic mechanics themselves are fairly enjoyable. To quote one Steam reviewer, “For the price of free, there’s definitely fun to be had here. Just know it’s a mixed bag.” Given that Skate is in Early Access, it’s possible that the mixed bag will eventually tilt more towards the positive. But as far as first impressions go, it’s safe to say gamers have some strong opinions on Skate.
Skate launched into Early Access on September 17th via Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. It is free-to-play, with plans to hit full release sometime in 2026.
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
