Skate Is Placing New Map Area Behind a Paywall, and Fans Are Outraged

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So, I’ve been playing Skate., the free-to-play game that’s still in early access on PlayStation, and they just dropped details about Season 3. Honestly, one thing they announced has the whole community buzzing – and not in a good way, it seems!

Full Circle, the game’s developer, recently announced on their website that they’re expanding the tutorial island and letting players revisit it – but there’s a limitation.

The island, soon to be called Isle of Grom, is where the game begins – it’s the original tutorial area. However, the developers have expanded it with brand new areas to explore and places to skate that weren’t available during the tutorial.

Fans are puzzled by the choice to make Isle of Grom available only to paying players, at least when it first comes out.

Here’s how it breaks down:

  • 10th March to 14th April: Only those who have Skate Pass Premium will have access to the island.
  • 14th April to 5th May: Open access to all players, when a special in-game event will take place.
  • 5th May to 2nd June: Those who don’t have Skate Pass Premium can visit Isle of Grom by spending 500 Rip Chips (earnable in-game currency) to get a ticket, which allows access for 24 real-time hours.

Access to the island will be free, but with a catch. After May 5th, if you want to keep playing Isle of Grom without paying, you’ll need 500 Rip Chips to return – and this access won’t be permanent.

This new plan has upset many players. Full Circle previously assured fans that all areas of the game map would be accessible to everyone, and this change goes against that promise.

The official response amounts to “sometimes plans have to change”:

It’s understandable that plans can shift during the development of a game, especially one that’s still being actively worked on. However, fans are still expressing disappointment and feeling let down by this change.

Season 3 will also include rewards from brands like Adidas, a redesigned store for easier access to cosmetic items, and a new, enhanced Skate Pass option called Premium+.

A new update is on the way with more information about Season 3. Full Circle has hinted at features called “darkslides” and a more realistic, rougher urban environment.

What do you think about this? Are you still enjoying Skate? Tell us in the comments section below.

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2026-02-20 16:06