EA's highly anticipated revival of Skate will require players to maintain an "always on" internet connection. In an updated FAQ on the official blog, developer Full Circle provided a clear response: "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving." This means that players will witness both large-scale changes to the city over time and smaller, dynamic in-game activities and live events.
The "always on" requirement signifies that Skate cannot be played offline, even for those who prefer solo gameplay. Full Circle emphasized that this connectivity is essential "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world," ensuring the game remains a live, connected experience.
This shouldn't come as a surprise to those who have participated in the playtests, as Full Circle noted, "That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest." The Always-On Playtest, which began in September 2024, aims to test the game in a continuous live environment with servers running 24/7.
Skate’s early access is slated for 2025, though an exact date has not yet been confirmed. Announced during EA Play way back in 2020, the game was described as being in its "very early" stages of development. Since then, Full Circle has engaged the community through closed community playtests of early builds and recently introduced microtransactions.
Players can use real-world money to purchase a virtual currency known as San Van Bucks, which can then be used to acquire cosmetic items. Full Circle is keen on testing Skate’s microtransaction system to ensure a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." The developer explained, "We know that using real money during a playtest is a little unusual, but we think it’s the best way to properly assess and adjust the system before launch." They also reassured players that any money spent during the playtest would be converted into San Van Bucks (SVB) upon the reset for the Early Access launch, with prices and other elements subject to change as part of the testing process.
