One thing is for sure, when it comes to the Skate 4 release date, it probably won't happen anytime soon. Despite some Skate 4 gameplay and even closed playtests, EA's upcoming revival is a rare occasion for a top-notch studio to showcase very early footage of a game's development - and we love it. However, this means that while we've seen a lot of Skate 4, we're also clear that it's not coming out anytime soon. It's been over ten years since the last Skate game, we can hold on a little longer.
The first Skate was one of the most innovative skateboard games out there, from the analog control scheme and grinder engine to a more realistic and less jarring representation of the skateboarding scene. The Skate 3 development team was disbanded after its release in 2010, and since then the series community has been constantly bombarding EA's message boards with questions about the series and its potential return.
That confirmation finally came when Creative Director Coos Parry announced a new Skate game during EA Play 2020, with Studio Full Circle taking the lead. Since then, we've had new news about Skate 4 and even footage in the works, so here's everything we know about Skate 4.
Skate 4 release date speculation
A release date for Skate 4 is unknown, and based on early footage we've seen of the skateboarding game, it will be a while before we get a concrete launch date. However, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said in an earnings call that the game is "coming soon". Sure, "soon" is doing a lot of work there, but as we're guessing, we're guessing the Skate 4 release date won't be until late 2023 at the earliest.
Gameplay Skate 4
It's early days, but there's actually quite a lot of Skate 4 gameplay available - all official. However, the gameplay consists of unfinished character models, animations, and environments, so it's certainly not a finished product. We've embedded the latest Skate 4 gameplay highlights below.
So what does this tell us? Actually quite a bit. The main thing is that Skate 4 will look pretty familiar in terms of the types of tricks you can pull off and how you pull them off. You can see grabs, grinds, somersaults and spins - the way the character models transition between them looks relatively smooth and very familiar.
There are plenty of off-board crawls, too. We can see players running, jumping, climbing stairs, and even using grinding rails like balance beams. The physics engine obviously allows for a few hefty ragdolls, so look forward to the return of the Meat Hall. There's also a multiplayer mode, but with larger lobbies; we can see nine players in one scene above. And if you're looking for some snippets of what the final product will look like, there are a few more highlights in the trailer below:
In addition to what the footage tells us, we also know that Skate 4 will be putting more emphasis on community-created content. Skate has had powerful level editing tools before, but the new Skate game will have co-building areas where co-op players can team up to start throwing things together before trying to skateboard.
Skate 4 or Skate ?
Technically, it's not even called Skate 4 - it's Skate. But let's face it, everyone is looking at this as the Skate 4, so that's what we'll be working with until the Skate catches on again.
Can Skate 4 be played for free?
Yes, Skate 4 is free to play, and it's also a live service. As you might expect, the F2P model implies microtransactions. Developer Full Circle says there won't be any gameplay-altering items you can buy or loot boxes for that matter, which pretty much leaves cosmetics on the table as the main thing players can spend their money on.
Skate 4 Locations
We've visited several skateboarding metropolises throughout the series, but Skate 4 takes place in a brand new location: San Vansterdam. And yes, it's a pretty obvious reference.
It's hard to read too much into the footage we've seen since it's all pre-pre-pre-pre-alpha, but Coose Parry calls it the sister city of San Vanelona, the setting from the first two games.
Skate 4 coming to PC?
Yes, in August 2021 the official Skate Twitter account confirmed A new game is coming to PC. As for crossplay and cross progression, they have also been confirmed, so that's a lot of good news.
