Skate's always online requirement feels like yet another red flag
In a blog post today, the developers behind the Skate reboot shared that the new game will require an online connection at all times.
EA’s free-to-play massively multiplayer game, Skate, continues to raise red flags. Through a developer blog called “The Grind,” we learned today that the long-awaited reboot will be always online. This is not an uncommon feature in certain modern titles. Plenty of games that have a primary focus on multiplayer, whether massively or not, require an internet connection. This seems to be an important feature of Skate’s vision, but it’s not the only reason fans have had to be worried about the state of this game.
Developers announce that MMO Skate will be always online
The Skate series kicked off back in 2007, but was put on hiatus when EA Black Box, the studio behind the series, was closed in 2013. Then, suddenly, in 2020, EA announced a revival. This iteration of Skate will be the fourth in the series, and according to the development team, will be going for a massively multiplayer or MMO strategy. This is different from the original games, which did include offline, single-player content and a story to follow.
Some players have had the chance to try out this new version of Skate via playtests, but players are not currently allowed to share their thoughts and outside of other playtest participants. This is fairly normal for a closed playtest, but it does mean that we don’t currently have any idea about what it’s like to actually play the game yet. Today’s blog post also reiterated Skate’s plans for a 2025 Early Access launch, so we may not have to wait too long.
Regarding the always online requirement, the developer blog states: “The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving… In order to deliver on our vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection.” This sounds like an idea that has potential, but it’s hard to envision currently. On some level this is a departure from the popular skateboarding games from years ago that had stories, characters, and new areas to explore. Skate will need to get a lot of things right to succeed, and there have already been a few worrying signs.
Since this is a free-to-play game, that means that it will be relying on microtransactions to generate revenue. These microtransactions have already appeared in the closed playtest, which is somewhat unusual for playtests, even the developers agree, writing in their blog: “We know that using real money during a playtest is a little unusual, but we think it’s the best way to properly assess and adjust the system before launch.” Players are also promised to receive the amount spent during the playtest as in-game currency when the game launches in Early Access.
This live-service model has proven again and again that it’s difficult to maintain. Huge publishers like studios closed in the last year after failing to meet expectations with live-service products. Since this version of Skate was announced back in 2020, I hope the five years of development don’t put too much pressure on it to get its money back quickly.
Lastly, Early Access is not a common choice for games with such huge names behind it like EA. Normally, Early Access can be a great tool for small studios to get from fans and help fund the rest of development. Baldur’s Gate 3 might still be one of the best examples of this. I am wary of a larger project using this process in good faith. At least it is free-to-play, so people won’t be buying into a glorified playtest. Ultimately, we will have to wait to see more Skate before making any judgements.
