Yes, Skate Will Require An 'Always On' Internet Connection

EA's highly anticipated Skate revival will require an "always on" internet connection.

In an updated FAQ on the official blog, developer Full Circle gave a "simple answer: No," adding: "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."

An "always on" requirement means games cannot be played offline, even if you avoid multiplayer modes or prefer to play alone. However, in this case, Full Circle prefers Skate to be connected to the internet "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection."

"That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest," the developer added.

That's because in September 2024, the team began its Always-On Playtest. The new phase "tests the game in a permanent live environment, with servers running around the clock."

Skate’s early access launch is set for 2025, although there's still no confirmed date at this time. It was announced during EA Play way back in 2020, but at the time was stated as "very early" in development. Since then, Full Circle has kept the community up to date with closed community playtests of early builds and, last month, added microtransactions.

You can spend real-world money on a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which in turn is used to buy cosmetic items. It sounds like Full Circle wants to test Skate’s microtransaction purchase system, as it told players it wanted them to have a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store."

"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," the team added in today's blog update. "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."

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.