Electronic Arts and developer Full Circle offered an update on the new Skate — which we’re all just casually calling Skate 4, and not “skate.”, right? — showcasing what activities players will get up to when the game launches at some undetermined point. No, there’s still no release date for the new Skate — this is a game clearly still deep in development and playtesting, though Full Circle developers offered a hint of progress today, saying that console playtesting is coming.
Full Circle showed new snippets of “pre-pre-alpha gameplay” from the new Skate on Thursday, and talked about what players can expect while skating through the city of San Vansterdam. Developers discussed a few types of activities, including Challenges, which are described as “short solo experiences that rotate in and out” and will change over time; Pop-ups, dynamic events designed to be cooperative experiences; Community Events, which involves large groups of skaters; and Throwdowns, user-initiated and customizable activities where players can gather, compete, and cooperate. Enticingly, devs noted that activities in Skate are unbounded from “our reality,” so expect things to get a little weird.
Developers also discussed variations on Challenges, including ones focused on climbing — meaning taking advantage of skateable verticality — and others like Tag, big group-activity games.
The Skate team also coined the term “flumping” to describe what players will be doing off of their boards. Flumping is a portmanteau of “flicking” and “jumping,” and implies the urban platforming and exploration that will happen when not directly skating. (Warning: Do not look this term up on Urban Dictionary.)
Full Circle again emphasized that its take on Skate will be a living, growing game, and that progression and earning rewards are central to its ongoing design plan. “Expect something different every day, week or season,” developers said.
The new Skate is was officially confirmed in 2020, after a yearslong campaign from fans. In 2021, EA announced the team creating the new Skate. Leading Full Circle is Daniel McCulloch, formerly a general manager of Xbox Live at Microsoft, and Deran Chun and Chris “Cuz” Parry as Skate’s “creative leadership.” The new Skate is headed to unannounced consoles and PC.
