Studio Full Circle and publisher Electronic Arts faced harsh criticism after announcing an updated map for the skateboarder simulator Skate. As part of the third season, the developers plan to return to the game the Thunder Island location, which previously served as a training ground and was inspired by the second and third parts of the series. The problem is that access to the territory will not be free, and this directly contradicts the statements of the authors made at the stage of announcing the project in 2022.
According to the official blog, the implementation of the card will take place in several stages. From March 10 to April 14, the location will be open exclusively to holders of a paid skate.Pass Premium subscription. After this, access will be provided to all users, but only until May 5, when the card will again become exclusive to premium subscription holders. Without spending real money, you will only be allowed to enter by purchasing temporary tickets for 24 hours for 500 Rip Chips.
Representatives of Full Circle explain the departure from previous promises by the need to ensure the further development of the game, adding new mechanics, such as expanding the list of tricks. The community on the Reddit and X sites took these arguments with skepticism, recalling that the absence of paid zones was stated as one of the fundamental principles of monetization of the simulator. According to commentators, such changes undermine the credibility of the developers at a time when the game has just begun to receive positive reviews on Steam.
In addition to the controversial decision on access to maps, the third season will introduce a tattoo system, accessories from the adidas and Vans brands, as well as a Speedlines speed mode. The studio’s plans include creating another large region, developing turn-based competitive modules and tools for creating custom parks.
