Skate Early Access Set for Sept 16 — Here’s What to Expect

Skate (Credit: EA)

Electronic Arts has officially confirmed that Skate (stylized as skate.) will enter early access on September 16, 2025.

The news was shared through a short trailer released by the development team, Full Circle, celebrating the franchise’s long-awaited return. It has been more than 15 years since the last major entry, Skate 3, launched back in 2010, and anticipation has only grown louder with every passing year.

Set in the fictional city of San Vansterdam, Skate offers players an expansive open-world environment where they can explore neighborhoods, master tricks, and compete or collaborate with others online. The early access version will feature four unique districts, each designed with different skate spots, plazas, rooftops, and ramps to keep players experimenting.

According to EA, the game will be free-to-download and available across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA app. It also supports cross-play and cross-progression, making it accessible regardless of platform choice. However, there’s currently no word on a Nintendo Switch 2 release.

One of the biggest talking points is how Skate embraces the live-service model. Players can expect seasonal updates introducing new challenges, cosmetics, music, and even changes to the map itself. This rotating content is designed to keep the city dynamic, though some fans have expressed concern about the removal of older areas in favor of new ones. EA, however, insists this approach will keep the world fresh and engaging.

Gameplay-wise, the beloved Flick-It System makes a return, rebuilt using the Frostbite Engine to provide more precision and responsiveness. The game also adds fresh tricks like wallies, slappies, and firecrackers, along with off-board movement so players can roam and climb to discover new spots. In addition, a new feature called Quick Drop lets skaters place ramps, rails, and other objects anywhere to customize their session.

Reports from recent playtests suggest the game already offers a huge variety of activities. In fact, back in June, a significant update expanded the test build with more than 140 challenges and boosted server capacity to allow 150 players per map.

While Skate is free, optional paid cosmetics will be available for those who want to deck out their skater in style. Developers have stressed that community feedback has been central during playtesting and will remain a priority throughout early access.