EA's Skate revival is riding into Early Access

skate., the revival of the skateboarding franchise from Full Circle and EA, will have an Early Access launch in 2025.

In an apparent first for the publisher, the game will launch early to solicit player feedback ahead of its full (or Version 1.0) release.

While Early Access is nothing new for indie studios, big publishers like EA do not often plan their games with Early Access in mind. The shift speaks to how the model could be useful to those larger, multiplayer-focused teams.

Full Circle also revealed a console playtest is coming later in 2024, though it didn't provide further details. It's currently unclear if the Early Access period will be PC-only, or include console players.

skate. was already an unconventional EA release, given it's planned to be a live-service, cross-platform game. The original Skate series was notable for its physics systems and skateboarding mechanics, which could make for complications in an always-online game.

Since its initial reveal, Full Circle has held closed community playtests and provided frequent blog updates on skate's. development. The biggest piece of news came in 2022, after a pre-alpha build leaked and EA told players to not download it.