San Van Bucks are the new in-game currency for EA Skate, and players are reacting to the addition of microtransactions in the latest alpha test.
Earlier in the week, Insider Gaming reported that after the new EA Skate alpha test went live, it included a slew of microtransactions. This quickly gained traction online, with some fans voicing similar complaints on Reddit, while others cared only that the game feels good, regardless of monetization (unlike other EA titles). While microtransactions now have a name—San Van Bucks, or SVB for short—not much else was detailed about them until today.
According to Insider Gaming, developers at Full Circle warned testers that progress will be fully reset before Skate launches into early access. However, any purchases made during the alpha will be converted back into San Van Bucks and available again at the start of early access.
Thanks to the same Reddit thread that has mixed reactions to the microtransactions, more details have emerged regarding in-game pricing. The pricing listed on Reddit is in euros, with microtransactions ranging from €5 to €99 (approximately $5.43 to $107.57 USD). The microtransactions have been confirmed on PlayStation and PC, but there is no confirmation yet for the Xbox version.
Released details confirm what the team at Full Circle has reiterated: Skate‘s microtransactions will be cosmetic only and will not affect gameplay. Although EA’s newest Skate title is still in the playtest phase, Full Circle has yet to announce an official release date for early access.
