EA has announced that Skate will launch in early access three weeks from now on September 16, 2025, bringing years of closed playtesting and waiting to an end. It'll be available to download for free on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Yesterday, EA confirmed that we'd get the early access release date announced and the game's cover art revealed today, with both arriving in a short trailer showing off some gameplay and introducing players to San Vansterdam.
The fourth entry in EA's Skate series has been long-awaited, with 15 years between Skate 3's 2010 release and this new Skate game from Full Circle. Of course, it looks very different than the trilogy of games that skateboarding fans fell in love with between 2007-2010.
This new Skate is a free-to-play live service game, that will feature cosmetic microtransactions and require that players always be online if they want to hop into San Vansterdamn. It's Skate for the modern video game landscape, or more accurately, it's the only iteration of Skate that EA believes is worth making in today's video game landscape, as EA ignores the success of the Tony Hawk remasters.
"Skate is not just a return, it's a complete evolution of the franchise that's built to last," said the game's executive producer, Mike McCartney, in a press release. "Our goal with Skate is to capture the freedom, creative expression and community of skateboarding, and share it with as many people as possible. From day one, our priority has been to honor the legacy of the franchise while pushing it into a bold new future - one built in partnership with our players."
While many players might not be on board with a Skate game that's potentially more focused on selling you a new colorway for your board than it is on making a good game, the fact that this is an early access release does at least mean, to some degree, Full Circle and EA will create the experience alongside player feedback. And, so long as Full Circle is able to nail the gameplay, you should be able to ignore all the live service filler you didn't ask for in your Skate game.
"Community is the heart of skateboarding, and it’s the heart of skate," added the game's head of creative, Jeff Seamster. "From day one, we've aimed to create an open, welcoming space shaped by players. We've built this game alongside our community - listening, learning, and evolving together. Whether you're a seasoned skater or just dropped in, Skate is a place to express yourself, connect and grow. No gatekeepers, no barriers - just a city built for skating and a community that keeps it alive. Early Access is a huge milestone in that journey, and we're hyped to keep growing San Vansterdam with our crew around the world."
We'll see how Skate's early access, free-to-play journey begins in a few weeks time. Hopefully, it's a strong enough start that we're not hearing about Skate being unceremoniously shut down in less than a few years time.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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