Early pre-alpha gameplay footage of Skate 4 has leaked online, showcasing a brief look at development progress on the long-awaited skating title. Publisher Electronic Arts announced the next Skate game during EA Play 2020, with key members from the original EA Black Box team attached to lead development. The crew has since formed a Skate-dedicated production studio in Vancouver, Canada, Full Circle, which opened its doors in early 2021. Former Xbox Live executive David McCulloch serves as Full Circle’s General Manager; meanwhile, Skate veterans Deran Chung and Cuz Parry lead the charge on the franchise’s next phase.
Few details have surfaced about the project since its official announcement nearly two years ago. Behind-the-scenes footage and word that Skate 4 will make its way to PC constitute some of the smaller bits of information shared in the last year or so. In addition, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson claimed in a February 2022 earnings call that the new Skate title could release sometime soon. Now yet another update regarding the game’s progress has surfaced online.
As spotted by VentureBeat reporter Jeff Grubb (via Push Square), pre-alpha footage of Skate 4 recently leaked online via Odysee. The Odysee link no longer features any traces of Skate-related content; however, a tweet from Grubb still features 30 seconds or so of gameplay. Notably, the footage shows a character skating and walking around very crude builds of a city street and skate park. According to Grubb, and as evidenced by the gameplay, Full Circle developers currently have their sights set on getting the “feel right.” Check it out in the Twitter post linked below:
Grubb noted in a follow-up post that the above pre-alpha build suggests EA is giving its production teams ample time to prototype. This should work in Full Circle’s favor, especially given Skate 4’s emphasis on exploration and user-generated content. When the studio will be ready to showcase the game in full remains a mystery as of writing, but most would agrees it’s best if all involved take their time.
The first Skate game hit store shelves in 2007, ushering in a new era of skateboarding video games. EA Black Box’s franchise notably took a detour from the gameplay formula established by the beloved Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, which ensured the newer brand boasted an identity all its own. While two sequels launched in 2009 and 2010, respectively, Skate seemed to unceremoniously ride off into the sunset without looking back. Fortunately, Skate will reclaim its time in the limelight soon enough.
Skate 4 is currently in development, yet lacks a release date.
Source: Odysee (via Jeff Grubb/Twitter, Push Square)
Go to Source
Author: Brianna Reeves
