One of the most pleasant surprises of the last few weeks was Skate. If you’ve been around gaming for a while – and I, um, have – then you’re familiar with Skate from the days of Xbox 360 and PS3, where it came out with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, offering a completely different take on the sport and the skateboarding scene. Many assumed that Skate 3 – released a full 15 years ago – was the end of the series, especially after the closure of EA’s Black Box studio, but like any skateboarder whose face has touched the cold touch of asphalt, there’s no stopping a good gaming franchise. The current version of Skate ten has just launched in Early Access, and with today’s premiere of the first season, the Full Circle team has announced that the game has already reached 15 million players on the sidewalks of San Vansterdam.
That’s a hell of a lot of people. And with good reason, since the move to Free-To-Play has made it the most accessible skateboarding game we’ve ever had. Even if you only have a passing interest in skateboarding – perhaps you once watched Lords of Dogtown with Heath Ledger and thought it was pretty cold – there’s literally no reason not to download the current Skate and check it out. People certainly seem to be doing the same, as player numbers have skyrocketed in just three weeks.
I’ve already spent some time in San Vansterdam and really enjoyed this first step into Early Access in my review, stating, “I’ve been waiting for Skate. Tony Hawk’s crazy take on the sport is cool, but it doesn’t feel all that great. Freedom, diversity, and community are already there, the only thing missing is you.”
Season 1 launches today and includes all-new skateboarding areas, challenges, tasks, seasonal events, current brand partners, cosmetics, quality of life improvements and more.
