It’s been announced that crea-ture Studios’ anticipated Skate spiritual successor will be playable on PC and Xbox One soon. Session Early Access starts with a Steam release next month, specifically on September 17, before the skateboarding game ollies onto Microsoft’s console with an Xbox Game Preview release due for an unspecified October date. Finally, fans of the extreme sport will once again be able to engage in it from the safety of their homes.
It’s been more than nine years since EA released the last Skate game (Skate 3) on Xbox 360 and PS3. However, thanks largely to the popularity of YouTube Let’s Plays built around the game, it’s maintained a loyal player base to this day. A lack of competition also played a part, naturally, as the only mainline entry in Activision’s competing licensed series was 2015’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, which was not well-received at all. No longer will neglected skating fanatics need to make do, as the successfully crowdfunded Session—built using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine—is bringing “pure, raw” skateboarding back to the fore.
ALSO: Session is the Skate Spiritual Successor You’ve Been Waiting for, Demo Out Today
The Early Access teaser trailer (which features explicit language for those of you at work), shows off some gameplay as a range of skaters perform tricks in an urban environment. It’s set to the track “F-# Up The Party” by Rum Committee, setting the game’s more-grounded and less-outlandish tone, while potentially offering our first glimpse of the soundtrack. Tracklists can help to make or break a skateboarding game, with the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series often being fondly recalled for its excellent licensed music selections.
While we know for sure that Session Early Access will be available on Steam come September 17 and Xbox One shortly thereafter in October, a release date for the final product hasn’t yet been set. Currently, no PS4 or Nintendo Switch versions of the game appear to be planned.
