Being an avid skating fan means getting hyped for two things: another iteration of a Tony Hawk game or the latest Skate game about to launch. This time, we’re going to be talking about the newest Skate’s game, Skate. The name really feels like the developers were trying to touch grassroots with this title, but the game definitely fell short.
Skate. was promised to fans as a free-to-play title. Yeah, free-to-play in 2025 doesn’t seem real, but that’s what Full Circle advertised. Unfortunately, while the game didn’t face any game-breaking glitches, there were a plethora of other issues players did not take kindly to.
After a 16-year hiatus, has Skate. been able to revive the OG skateboarding series? Or was it just another generic skateboarding game that fell short of expectations? That’s everything we’ll be unpacking today.
Is Skate. A Free-To-Play Game?
Technically, yes, Skate. is a free-to-play game. You can download and play the game without paying up front. That’s pretty rare in today’s gaming climate, especially given how console games keep hiking their prices each year. The latest Hollowknight game even broke major gaming services on release due to its budget price. However, that’s not the case for Skate.
While Skate. was developed by Full Circle, EA was the one that published the game. Now, EA isn’t known for its pricing accessibility, so that came as a shock to many long-term fans. Everyone was sceptical, of course, but also silently hopeful. Maybe this would be the start of something new? Something fresh? Unfortunately, things did not pan out as we hoped.
Full Circle has said that Skate. will remain in Early Access for an entire year since its release (July’25) and will stay free-to-play. That’s definitely good news for skateboarding fans, but the game itself has really let down fans. I’m going to break down the different factors that went into play, or rather caused, the backlash Skate. has been getting recently.
In-Game Purchases In Skate.
Even though the main game is free-to-play, it doesn’t mean that in-game purchases aren’t a thing. Skate. does have in-game purchases and microtransactions, but only for cosmetic items so far. I’m not sure whether any future microtransactions will affect gameplay, but let’s go with what we have so far.
The problem with the items bought with VC is that they just aren’t worth it. Online forums like Reddit have been filled with complaints of how players don’t want to pay for cosmetics like a white shirt or a green hat. A pair of jeans isn’t what players are looking for when they spend money in-game, even if it is a skateboarding video game.
This makes the content mundane and dull. Players start to feel bored after a while, cycling between the three colours of shirts they have. Would those purchases feel more worthwhile if they affected gameplay? Perhaps. But Full Circle risk alienating a major chunk of its playerbase with that. At this point, the in-game purchases just don’t make sense, and coupled with other issues, are dragging the game down.
Will Skate.’s Live-Service Model Pull Through?
Skate. might not be doing too well currently, but that doesn’t spell the end for it. The reason is that Skate., unlike previous entries, follows a live-service gaming model rather than a one-time purchase. What this means is that developers plan to constantly update the game with new features and content over time.
This has two major flaws, though: lack of engagement and lack of revenue.
Lack Of Engagement
The release of Skate. should have received phenomenal support. It has a particularly niche playerbase comparatively, and is the latest edition after 16 years. Fans should have been raging about the game, as it revived old memories, even if it didn’t capture the entire essence of Skate.
However, that wasn’t the case. Players were already skeptical about the game being a free-to-play service pre-release, and the gameplay only confirmed their disappointment. Every live-service game needs a solid player base that is willing to spend every so often. Since they rely on long-term engagement, the model fails if players are already aversive at release.
Lack Of Revenue
The last point ties directly into this one. There are two ways for a gaming company to generate revenue: either through people purchasing the game or through microtransactions like battle passes and limited-time cosmetics. As we know, Skate. is free-to-play, so there’s no revenue stream through game purchases. And with players unwilling to spend VC for premium cosmetics, it’s simply a recipe for disaster.
This isn’t simply an issue of the company not earning enough; it also means they won’t be able to push out better content. Without a beneficial income stream, they cannot hire more developers to release new updates, meaning the game will continue in a downward spiral. This deadly feedback loop is something that needs to be fixed fast before the game loses more players and can’t sustain keeping the servers live.
The Future For Skate.
Right now, we can’t say anything about which road Skate. will go down. Perhaps Full Circle have something big planned to increase engagement tenfold. But it is important to note that, regardless of how players feel, a sustainable income model is necessary for any venture to flourish. The reason why it is not fair to compare it to older entries is that they were all pre-2010 games, released in a different gaming climate.
However, on the flip side, promising to make a game free-to-play embeds the idea of players not having to spend in order to progress. Battle passes, premium features, or loot boxes go completely against that ideology. If Full Circle were to emphasise those now, it might further derail the game’s image.
Still, talking about the current state of the game, it is definitely free-to-play. You don’t need to spend money to progress your character, and everything can be earned in-game. That said, launching a free-to-play game in 2025 was a bold move, and I don’t think it paid off in the way Full Circle and EA were hoping.
