“We’re š“šµšŖšš working on it, but it’s time for you to see what we’ve been up to.” Those were the words today from the official Skate Twitter account as they released a video updating fans on the progress of the game’s development showing the game in ‘pre-pre-pre-alpha’ form.
The fan demand willed the game into existence, and it’s that same demand that has prompted the incredible level of openness from EA, a company who is typically quite reluctant to overshare. Speaking about Skate when it was revealed in June 2020, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said “You take a game like Skate, and while skateboarding in and of itself has tremendous appeal to a huge, global audience, thereās also another secular trend thatās happening inside our industry around user-generated content, open-world and interaction… For many people, skateboarding isnāt just a sport: it unlocks their access to art, cultureā¦ if you follow a guy called Nyjah Huston on Instagram, whoās one of the worldās great skateboarders, youāll discover that heās a young guy who started out skateboarding but now is a fashion and art icon who lives in a big house in Beverly Hills and drives around in a Rolls Royce.”
Jeff Grubb spoke during his GiantBomb show, Grubbsnax, and said the following of EA’s plans with the game “They are going to be taking some modern stuff, specifically the kind of stuff you might see in a ForzaĀ game or a lot of modern online multiplayer games, where youāre going to have a lot of customisation options for your character, a lot of skins, skins for your board, things like that,ā
It really seems like EA is going all out with their development on the new Skate title that is, amongst the community, being referred to as Skate 4, and is leaning heavily into community engagement and feedback. No official release date, or window has been specified but with 2014 being the year when fans got Skate 3, it seems that everyone is just excited that they’re working on it.