Skate locks map areas behind 24-hour rentals and premium pass

EA introduces rental system for Skate map areas

According to a GamesRadar+ investigation, EA has implemented a monetization system in Skate that locks playable map areas behind either 24-hour rentals or a premium pass subscription. The move contradicts earlier promises from the publisher that map areas would not be paywalled.

Players now face a choice: rent individual areas for limited 24-hour access or purchase an ongoing premium pass for unrestricted access to all locations. The system has drawn immediate criticism from the community, particularly given EA's previous commitment to keeping playable areas accessible without payment.

This is especially frustrating for a franchise that built its reputation on freedom and exploration. The original Skate trilogy let players roam entire cities without restrictions, discovering spots and creating lines organically. Locking areas behind time-gated payments fundamentally changes how players interact with the game world. You can't casually explore a spot, learn its quirks, and return days later to nail that perfect line if your access expires every 24 hours.

Breaking earlier commitments

The controversy centers on EA's reversal of its earlier stance on monetization. The publisher had previously assured players that core playable areas would remain free, positioning other cosmetic items as the primary revenue stream. This new rental model represents a significant shift in that approach.

The timing makes this particularly bitter. EA spent years building goodwill during Skate's extended development, engaging with the community through playtests and feedback sessions. Many players accepted the free-to-play model specifically because EA promised map access wouldn't be monetized. That trust is now shattered.

The 24-hour rental window is particularly contentious. Unlike permanent unlocks or even longer rental periods, the time-limited access means players must repeatedly pay to access the same content. For those unwilling to commit to a premium pass, the costs could accumulate quickly. If you want to session a specific spot multiple times over a month, you're looking at potentially 30 separate rental fees for the same area.

This creates a pressure-cooker scenario where players feel rushed to extract maximum value from their rental window rather than skating at their own pace. It's the opposite of what skateboarding games should feel like. The genre thrives on repetition, experimentation, and returning to familiar spots with new ideas. A 24-hour timer actively works against that core loop.

Community concerns

The backlash highlights ongoing tensions between live service monetization and player expectations. Skate has been in development for years as a free-to-play title, with the community closely watching how EA would balance accessibility with revenue generation. The answer, apparently, is poorly.

Comparisons to other free-to-play models are inevitable. Games like Fortnite and Apex Legends monetize cosmetics aggressively, but keep gameplay content accessible. Even Rocket League, which went free-to-play under Epic, didn't lock arenas behind paywalls. EA's approach here feels more aggressive than industry standards, especially for a game that hasn't even fully launched yet.

There's also the question of what this means for the game's longevity. Skate's appeal has always been its sandbox nature and the creativity it enables. If significant portions of the map are behind rotating paywalls, it fragments the community. Players can't share spots, collaborate on video projects, or build a shared knowledge base when everyone has access to different areas at different times.

The premium pass might seem like the "solution," but that just converts Skate into a subscription game with extra steps. For players in regions where gaming budgets are tight, or younger fans who made up a huge part of the original Skate community, this effectively prices them out of the full experience.