June 21 is National “Go Skate” day, and it’s going to be about 100 degrees here in Wisconsin. That, and I’m a bit rusty on the ol’ board, so I may be looking for a different way to celebrate. What better way is there to celebrate something like this than to have a chat with some of the members of the upcoming skate. revitalization? Grab your board, and get ready to hit the digital blacktop with me as we dive deep into the world of skate. and what makes this multiplayer-focused edition so interesting.Screenshot: EAIf the Weather Doesn’t Want To Cooperate With You, Stay Inside and ‘Skate.’Some of us are going to be lucky enough to get out and skate this weekend, but for folks like me? I’m going to be staying in, air conditioning blasting, playing through the latest skate. playtest. “We’ve just announced that Early Access is coming at the end of summer 2025 (that’s Northern Hemisphere). For players who don’t want to wait that long, and I know a lot of you have been waiting a while, I’d tell you to sign up to be a skate. Insider at skate.game.,” said Mike McCartney, Executive Producer on skate. “Everyone who signs up before June 27 will get an invite to playtest before Early Access begins.”You may be wondering: how exactly is a “live-service” Skate game even going to work? It was something that I was, admittedly, worried about. But after jumping into the playtests, my doubts quickly started to drift away. Although the more cartoonish style of skate. took some time to get used to, the general gameplay feels utterly fantastic. The new parkour system was much more in-depth than I gathered from just watching videos, and it’s still got that goofy charm we all know and love. Yes, you can still ragdoll yourself off of a building, and it’s 100% encouraged here.“Big changes are right around the corner, and I’m so excited for players to see what’s been cooking. Our next playtest update drops July 2nd, and you’ll notice the difference immediately,” notes Jeff Seamster, Head of Creative on skate. “San Van has come to life with tons of new environmental content, signage, foliage, and graffiti – the stuff that gives a city its sense of character. You’ll also notice a significant uptick in pedestrians and vehicles around town.”Visual Fidelity and a Sense of Identity Make ‘skate.’ Feel More Alive Than Ever“We’ve updated our visual fidelity across the board with improved lighting and shadows, updated textures and effects, and other fine details,” says Seamster. “On top of that, there are big user interface and presentation upgrades, including new animations, effects, a more responsive map, and expanded character customization options.” Even watching the upcoming July Playtest Preview, the difference is immediately noticeable. When I first joined in on the playtests, the city of San Van was unfinished. Blobs of gray and white made the city look sterile and bland, but now? It’s alive with the sound of polyurethane.“Early Access launch is only day one, and our visuals will continue to improve and evolve throughout Early Access and beyond, just like the game itself,” mentions Seamster, as the live-service aspects of skate. slowly start to evolve and take shape.Video via skate. on YouTubeThe World of ‘Skate.’ Has Been Constantly Evolving Over the Past Three Years, but They’re Just Getting StartedMuch like the art of skating itself, skate. is a much more social game than its predecessors. The world is alive and always moving, but those aren’t just NPCs you’re seeing on the map. Those are your friends, your rivals, and new players getting used to the Flick-It system for the first time in their lives. “We don’t have plans for a traditional ‘boxed’ game, and that is part of our vision for the future of Skate: free-to-play, community-driven, and built to be playable for years to come,” said Jeff Seamster. “We’re making something brand new that will feel familiar while leaning into the social and community aspects of skateboarding culture.”Honestly? I love the route that they’re taking here. The refined controls, the general vibe of San Van, and the seamless multiplayer interactions have genuinely surprised me. Taking a moment to watch players, both better and worse than myself, work on improving themselves is incredibly cool. It’s got the same vibe as being at the skatepark, but no annoying scooter kids get in your way. Now, you can bring your homies (or homettes) along for the ride. We’ve still got all summer to practice our skate. skills, however. Watching the game slowly evolve over the past few years has been nothing short of incredible. Seeing the world slowly spring to life over various updates, with one of the biggest updates coming right around the corner, skate. feels like a natural evolution, without straying far from what makes the series so beloved by fans of all types. With skate. constantly evolving, players jumping in may wonder if there are any Go Skate Day Rewards for this pre-alpha session. “No in-game Go Skate Day event this year. We’re focused on getting ready for Early Access. Plus, GSD is on a Saturday this year… we’re going to be out skating,” states Deran Chung, Senior Creative Director. “Once we’re in Early Access, it’ll be a different story when it comes to in-game events. So stay tuned!“The World of San Van and ‘skate.’ is Being Shaped by The Fans and Players in Real-Time.“When we say San Vansterdam is shaped by our community, we mean it,” says Seamster. I’ve seen it firsthand. Jumping periodically into playtests, I’ve seen how community feedback is making the world of skate. better than I may have initially given it credit for. As for how the players and their feedback are shaping the game, Seamster had a few additional words to say.“For example, in our current build, there’s a certain item we were giving away a lot as a progression reward. Throughout the playtest, we heard loud and clear from players that this was a bit too much of a good thing. So, we changed it. In our next update, you’ll see a difference in our reward structure. Our players are literally shaping the game – and that’s a continuous goal moving forward.We want our players to feel like they’re playing in a world that they’re helping to build. From skating on and over moving vehicles to cosmetic requests like baggy pants, to new challenges and challenge types, to how the progression system works, skate. has been and will continue to be shaped by and for our players.“Screenshot: EAIn a World That’s Constantly Changing and Evolving, ‘Skate.’ Is Ready To Handle the ChallengeIt’s been a very, very long time since we’ve gotten a new Skate game, hasn’t it? The last official entry, Skate 3, is still as popular as ever. Browsing through social media like TikTok or Twitch, you’re bound to run into some streamers trying their best to break the boundaries of what the game world has to offer. But what makes skate. so special to so many people? “That’s a tough one, there are so many elements that made the first three games so special. For us, the most important thing was nailing the feeling of Skate, the Flick-It control scheme, and a big open world to explore,” said Deran Chung. ” Whether you want to blast 30ft double backflips, take some brutal slams, or session a curb, it is still so fun. Everything is built upon that foundation; the crazy physics sandbox.”But, here’s the thing: the idea of “live-service” can be terrifying. As an oldhead who’s been playing Skate since the release of the first game, I can happily say that the team is working hard to keep that feeling alive. It doesn’t feel like a live-service game, like most typically do. That’s partially due to community feedback, something that Deran Chung is just as happy about as I am.“We have been working with our community, fans old and new, getting feedback and testing builds since 2022. We have a solid mix of features bridging where we’ve been and where we want to go for our Early Access launch towards the end of summer,” said Chung. “And the best thing about it is, Early Access is just the beginning. We get to keep updating and improving the game over time.”Screenshot: EAI Know I’m Likely in the Minority Here, but I Hope ‘Hate Crew Deathroll’ Is on the SoundtrackIf there’s one thing I can say is more important than how the game looks and feels, it’s the soundtrack. Songs like Going Up The Country, Bare Feet on Wet Griptape, and so many iconic tracks have blessed the Skate series since its inception. But after 15 years, hearing the same group of songs over and over again can get tiring. That’s where the live-service elements of skate. come into play. “We have a sick soundtrack. A ton of music. And, just like the rest of the game, we’ll continue to add and refresh it based on player feedback,” notes Deran Chung. “Stoked that we aren’t going to have to listen to the same songs for the next 15 years.” Hey, man. Speak for yourself! I can’t get enough of Going Up The Country.But a soundtrack is only so much. What about the soul of the franchise? Won’t that be lost by switching to a live-service method? Absolutely not, especially if Mike McCartney has anything to say about it. “Creating a new entry for any franchise with a dedicated fan base like ours is definitely challenging. Some of the team (myself included) worked on the original games, and others have grown up with Skate. We’re all here at Full Circle because we love and believe in this game,” states McCartney.“Doing right by the players who have been along for the ride since day one is important to us. Developing skate. in a way that allows us to grow our community, create a new generation of skaters, and evolve long past Early Access and launch is also important to us. And finding that balance, that’s the hard part”, McCartney mentions. Honestly? I was a bit skeptical of the pivot myself, but after partaking in the playtests, skate. feels like a natural progression of what makes the franchise special.“So, with these goals in mind, some things will look a bit different than in the past. The game is online, it’s free to play, it’s massively multiplayer – but, it MUST always feel like the Skate our players (old and new) know and love.“Screenshot: EASo, Why the Pivot To Multiplayer?I think the biggest question that most players have is this: why not just make Skate 4 instead of skate.? “This iteration of skate. is not a direct sequel for a reason. We want this to be a community that our players want to come back to, over and over, to discover new things. That means delivering what fans loved from the past while also creating new, surprising experiences in the future,” states McCartney. Seeing as skating is an incredibly social activity, I get it. But, fans keep coming back to Skate 3 and other Skate games. What makes this one different?“This iteration of skate. is not a direct sequel for a reason. We want this to be a community that our players want to come back to, over and over, to discover new things,” mentions McCartney. “That means delivering what fans loved from the past while also creating new, surprising experiences in the future.” “The process is definitely more challenging than if we’d decided to make a straight sequel, but we’ve already seen the payoff with how our community reacts when new additions are added to the world during playtesting. Positive or negative, our players’ feedback helps us make the game better. We’re excited by the idea that Early Access is just the beginning of growing the game with the community.“Screenshot: EAWhat Are You Doing? Get Out and Go Skate!It doesn’t matter how you’re doing it. You can get outside and partake in the actual event, or you can sit down in your air-conditioned house like I am. But get out and start skating! Make some new friends, make memories, and most importantly, get ready to share those memories with your skate. friends. When I was younger, I was a skate rat myself. Now that I’m old and my knees ache when I get out of bed, I’ll likely be jumping into the digital world of San Van instead. But that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Having the chance to hang out with your friends, get into some mischief, and do dumb stuff together. While I may have been a little hesitant about the idea of a live-service Skate game when it first got announced, I’m eager to see how the team is going to make the world come to life. I’ve seen it evolving before my eyes, and I’m hoping this makes every day feel like Go Skate Day. The post What Better Way To Celebrate ”Go Skate Day” Than a Q&A With the ‘skate.’ Crew? (Exclusive) appeared first on VICE.