Now that skate. has hit the open market, fans have given their first impressions of the newest entry into the EA series, and the reception has been cold. With claims that it feels empty and too much like Fortnite.
The latest entry in the Skate franchise is out in early access after a 15-year wait for some fans. As previously announced, it is free-to-play. With no cost of entry, players have been joining in droves to see what the buzz is about, and SteamDB reports thousands have tried the game. With a peak of nearly 100,000 players in the past 24 hours, it is safe to say the title is reasonably popular, but many of those same players have voiced their opinions on Steam, and a large number are not happy.
It’s worth mentioning skate. is still in early access and the developers have noted the following before the early access period launched on all platforms: “The Early Access launch features what we consider to be the essentials of skate. including the Flick-It trick system from previous games, which we’ve refined for modern players. There will also be tons of content to experience with other players in San Vansterdam. Our plan is that the “full” version will be an evolution of Early Access, with added challenges, features, live events, and gameplay improvements based on player feedback.” With that being said, on to the player feedback.
With over 8,000 reviews currently on Steam (with a “Mixed” reception) and only two days since it launched, fans have really dug into why the newest title doesn’t mesh well with them. While nearly every review on the Steam page mentions the great ‘feel of the gameplay’ and how the trick system works well, it’s where everything else is concerned that has players scorned.
One user, SadBoiStabler writes, “There is no skate culture here. There is no semblance of the street skating underground here,” claiming the game is a more sanitized version of what made the former trilogy great. Another fan, Lusk8, goes directly at the developers claims stating, “They received a lot of feedback in the last 2 or 3 years. I played the pre-alpha more than a year ago. They listened to the complaints? I don’t think so,” claiming the developers at Full Circle have had since 2020 to use player feedback from pre-alpha gameplay, but they decided to go in another direction. Fan Anakin Skywalker agrees, stating, “It’s almost like they didn’t listen to the fans.“
Both players (and everyone else who has left an impression) were slighted by the lack of gameplay modes like Hall of Meat, a story mode, and S.K.A.T.E. Death Races, which gave former titles a sense of identity, but most players have said skating does feel good. One reviewer, Ciri, really didn’t like what they played, stating, “You could’ve told me this is a new gamemode inside of Fortnite… and I would’ve believed you” echoing other players who dislike the Fortnite-esque art style of skate.
On Reddit, fans have been saying largely the same thing. Fans have mentioned the lack of skate culture, the lack of a cohesive storyline, and just a lack of what made the former games great. Almost all fans from both platforms have noted the irony that there’s “no S.K.A.T.E.” in a game titled skate.
All in all, fans seem to dislike the direction EA went in with the new skate. title, but it’s worth noting that the new title is two days old and still in early access (although it has been in development for much longer). There may be time for Full Circle and EA to right the ship before launch.
