Seriously, where was Skate 4 at E3 2019?

Where is Skate 4? E3 2019 has come and gone, and Electronic Arts didn't say a single word about one of the most fan-requested sequels in sports gaming history. We know that EA still has the rights to the Skate franchise, so why sit on them? It's puzzling trying to figure out why Skate 4 didn't appear at E3 2019, but we can at least consider why Electronic Arts hasn't started developing the game yet.

Where was Skate 4 at E3 2019?

If Skate 4 didn't appear at E3 2019, where is it? Is it even in development? Sadly, it seems the answer is still the same as it was before — EA currently has no plans to develop Skate 4. Despite countless fan requests for the sequel to 2010's Skate 3, Electronic Arts has yet to return to the sport series, and the publisher had nothing to say about it at the recent EA Play livestream event.

There are a few reasons why, but the first is perhaps the most obvious: Following the catastrophic downfall of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, fan interest in skateboarding video games apparently sank to the point where EA lost interest in pursuing the genre. Speaking to Kotaku in 2010, John Riccitiello, former chief of Eletronic Arts, said, "at least for the level of excitement out there, skateboarding seems to have run its course as the representative example in that broader genre."

The second reason why EA may not want to develop Skate 4 is that the original developers may not necessarily be available. Fans may recall that the crew of EA Black Box, the team responsible for Skate, Skate 2, and Skate 3, were scattered across the publisher's various studios following the closure of EA Black Box in 2013. Of course, we assume that at least some of the original Skate developers still remain in the employ of EA; if so, it's likely that they're busy all working on separate projects. Getting them all back together, to say nothing of rounding out the rest of the development team, would be a project in itself.

Ultimately, we can only assume that Electronic Arts has not begun development on Skate 4 because it doesn't appear to be lucrative enough. Despite undeterred fan demand, the cost of returning to the series clearly doesn't surmount the worry of another under-performing sports game.

Fortunately for players, a few developers got tired of waiting for a Skate sequel and set out to make their own. Assembled by the folks at crea-ture Studios, Session is a Kickstarter project aiming to capture the essence of open-world, physics-based skateboarding. The crowdfunding campaign was successful, drawing in support from nearly 3,500 backers, and the game is slated to release sometime this year. If it's successful, perhaps EA will come to its senses and begin development on Skate 4 immediately.

We were sad to see that Skate 4 did not appear at E3 2019, and it's even more depressing to watch as EA squanders the rights to one of the finest skateboarding video game series of all time. Get the hint, Electronic Arts — bring us Skate 4 before skateboarding fans take their dollars somewhere else.

Kevin Tucker

Guides Editor

Kevin Tucker is a core component of Shacknews' powerful guide development team. For questions, concerns, tips, or to share constructive criticism, he can be reached on Twitter @dukeofgnar or through e-mail at kevin.tucker@shacknews.com.