EA's highly anticipated revival of Skate will necessitate an "always on" internet connection, as confirmed by developer Full Circle in an updated FAQ on their official blog. They provided a straightforward response: "No," emphasizing that the game is designed as a "living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving." This design choice aims to facilitate dynamic changes within the game, including city modifications, live events, and other in-game activities.

The "always on" requirement means that players cannot enjoy the game offline, regardless of their preference for solo play. Full Circle explained that this connectivity is essential to realize their vision of a continuously evolving skateboarding world.

This decision may not come as a shock to those who participated in the playtests, as Full Circle noted, "That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest." In September 2024, the team initiated its Always-On Playtest, which evaluates the game in a persistent live environment with servers running 24/7.

Skate is slated for an early access release in 2025, though a specific date has yet to be announced. The project was first unveiled during EA Play way back in 2020 and was described as being in the "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 use real money to purchase a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which can then be used to acquire cosmetic items. Full Circle aims to refine Skate’s microtransaction system, expressing their desire for players to have a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store." They acknowledged the unusual nature of using real money during a playtest but believe it's crucial for assessing and fine-tuning the system before the game's official launch.

In today's blog update, the team reassured players that any price fluctuations or changes during the playtest are part of the normal process. They also promised that participants will receive the equivalent amount of San Van Bucks (SVB) they spent during the playtest when the game resets for its Early Access launch.