First New Skate Game In 15 Years Is Out Now, And It's Free

Here is a 190-word summary of the news article: EA has released a new free-to-play entry in its long-dormant Skate skateboarding game franchise. Skate is now available as an early access title on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, marking the first new Skate game in over 15 years. The new Skate is a free-to-play, always-online game, with EA generating revenue through microtransactions. Unlike the previous paid Skate titles, this version is unfinished and players may encounter bugs or other issues as the game is developed further. Over time, the developers plan to add new game modes, tricks, leaderboards, social features, and other improvements. The game is set in the fictional world of San Vansterdamn, which will continue to expand with new areas, challenges, and music. The Skate franchise had been dormant since 2010's Skate 3, while the Tony Hawk series saw recent releases like Pro Skater 1+2 and 3+4. Other skateboarding games like SkateBird and Session have also launched in recent years. Despite the long drought, the new free-to-play Skate has already attracted a large player base, leading the developers to implement server queues to manage the influx.