Electronic Arts recently shared details regarding an upcoming closed alpha test for the next game in the Skate franchise. The Skate Insider Program will allow fans of the skateboarding franchise to offer feedback and potentially help shape the direction of Skate 4's development. Yet while the Skate Insider Program has yet to begin, it seems there may be an ongoing playtest the public hasn't heard of yet. Details from this Skate 4 playtest have been leaked, though the reliability of the leak is in question.
What makes the leak somewhat persuasive is that it includes a photo of what's said to be Skate 4's map. The photo reveals a large explorable area filled with unlockable areas, fast travel points, mission icons, and what could be other players. The leaker also explains that the map is made up of both entirely new areas and sections pulled from past Skate games. For example, the Community Center from the first Skate is near the middle of the map. The city itself is referred to as Fun City.
Something that's particularly exciting is, as noted, the other player icons recognizable on the map. The leaker claims that EA is aiming for "around 60 people" per server for multiplayer. This open-map multiplayer isn't putting players in direct competition, however. There's no collision, at least for now. There's also an interesting feature where players can become spectators and cheer on other players' efforts. Further, players will have customizable emoji and audio "cheers" they can use for communication.
Progression is only loosely touched on. The leaker says that Skate 4's career mode is similar to Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, in that it revolves around skating as well as sharing media and earning followers. While there's mention of 100 levels to progress through, it isn't clear if this is tied to the career mode or a more general progression system. There's also mention of another career-like game mode that's being kept under wraps.
As for general gameplay, the leaker describes Skate 4's gameplay as faster than Skate 3 but not so much that it's realism-breaking. It's just enough to be noticeable. This seems like something that could be tweaked before Skate 4's eventual release, however.
Speaking of Skate 4's release, the leaker doesn't claim to have any specific information. What they did notice, however, is that there appears to be a surprising amount of Halloween-themed content in-game. That could mean that Halloween-2023 is being targeted for Skate 4's release date, but that's complete speculation on the leaker's part. Without further confirmation, it's unclear if the leaker is reliable, but for Skate fans hungry for any news then this may be the best option for the time being.
Skate 4 is in development.