"Skate Game Demands Constant Internet Connection"

EA's eagerly awaited revival of Skate will necessitate an "always on" internet connection, as confirmed in an updated FAQ on the official blog by developer Full Circle. They stated a straightforward "No" when asked if the game could be played offline, explaining: "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving. You’ll see bigger things evolve, like changes to the city over time, as well as smaller things, like live events and other in-game activities." This requirement underscores the vision of a dynamic skateboarding world that necessitates a constant internet connection.

Full Circle noted, "That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest," referencing the Always-On Playtest that commenced in September 2024. This phase is designed to "test the game in a permanent live environment, with servers running around the clock."

Scheduled for an early access launch in 2025, though without a specific date yet, Skate was initially announced at EA Play way back in 2020 and described as being in its "very early" stages of development. Since then, Full Circle has engaged the community with closed community playtests of early builds and, more recently, introduced microtransactions.

Players can now use real-world currency to purchase a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which can then be used to acquire cosmetic items. Full Circle is keen on testing Skate’s microtransaction system to ensure a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." They acknowledged the unusual nature of using real money during a playtest but emphasized its importance in refining the system before the official launch. They added, "If you see prices or other things changing over time, please understand that this is normal. And of course, you will receive the amount you spent during playtesting in San Van Bucks (SVB) when we reset for Early Access launch."