Skating Games Are Mounting A Comeback But Are They Here To Stay?

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Maybe you’ve noticed, but everywhere you look now, skating is back.

Skateboarding games were hugely popular in the early 2000s, but interest faded as the gaming world changed. Recently, though, these games are making a comeback, attracting both longtime fans and new players. It’s clear there’s still a demand for them. With the release of EA’s new Skate game – bringing back a beloved series – and the successful remakes of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, this genre looks set to thrive again.

I started noticing a real skateboarding renaissance a while back, surprisingly enough, while playing a super relaxing longboarding game called Driftwood. You play as this really cool sloth who just carves and bombs hills – ‘bombing’ basically means going really fast down a big hill! As someone who used to longboard back in high school, mostly just cruising around town, Driftwood reminded me what I loved about it in the first place – that feeling of wind in my hair as I flew down hills and empty roads, and that effortless cool feeling of weaving through people and traffic. It’s kind of perfect, then, that a game that brought back those memories also made me realize how many new skateboarding games have come out recently.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge variety of skateboarding games, ranging from the quirky (like SkateBird) to realistic simulators like Session: Skating Sim. Games like SkaterXL and the recent Bomb Rush Cyberfunk – which made a big splash, reminiscent of Tony Hawk’s groundbreaking 900 – have captured attention, and the OlliOlli series consistently improved with each new installment. Sadly, this growth came to an end when the OlliOlli developer, Roll7, closed its doors, but a sequel to Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is still on the way.

Skateboarding games have always been around, but with the new Skate game coming out, it feels like there’s a real surge in interest and development across all levels of the gaming industry – from small indie projects to large, AAA titles.

What’s driving the recent comeback of these types of games? What’s changed in the gaming world over the past few years, leading developers to look back to this older style of gameplay?

Jason Mann, a developer on the game Driftwood, believes the recent surge in skateboarding game releases is likely due to the original fans of games like Tony Hawk and Skate now being old enough to work in the industry – or at least have significant purchasing power. Considering the first Tony Hawk games came out in the late 90s and Skate followed about ten years later, many of the kids who grew up playing those games are now in a position to create or support new skateboarding titles, which explains what we’re seeing now. Given the gaming industry’s tendency to revisit popular classics, this seems like the most logical explanation.

I mostly agree with this viewpoint. While I’m happy to see skating games making a comeback, it sometimes feels like a safe move for the industry. I can’t help but wonder what’s actually working well in gaming right now, especially with so many layoffs and cancelled projects happening. It’s understandable that developers are looking back to the games they loved growing up – games that were hugely successful and have lasted a long time. That’s why a game like Skate, which is reviving a popular franchise with a new, ongoing service model, makes sense – even if it makes players a little hesitant.

Jeffrey Spicer, a producer at crea-ture Studios working on the game Session, believes the renewed interest in skating games mirrors the ups and downs of skating’s overall popularity. He points out that even when skating isn’t mainstream, there’s always a dedicated group of players who want a game that truly captures the freedom and creativity of real-life skateboarding. This is easy to see given the variety of skating games that have been released over the years—something Spicer and Mann both appreciate. It’s also exciting to see skate-inspired mechanics appearing in unexpected games, like Thirsty Suitors (2023), Sword of the Sea (which feels like surfing, but still!), and even last year’s TopMob Game of the Year winner, Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Interestingly, two of these games let you ride a sword! It’s only happened a couple of times, which isn’t many, but it’s still a strange feature to see repeated.

Spicer believes the continued interest in skating games is due to a lasting demand. Mann agrees, noting that older games like Tony Hawk and Skate still have dedicated fans who are very active on social media. It’s hard to miss the viral videos of impressive Skate 3 tricks, often set to music like Pearl Jam’s “Even Flow,” that constantly pop up online.

Skateboarding games are clearly gaining popularity, and analyst Mat Piscatella says the new ‘Skate’ game from EA had a remarkably strong launch. It quickly became one of the top 5 most played games each week on most platforms, putting it in the same league as massive hits like Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto. This is especially surprising because it’s a revival of a previously niche series that hadn’t released a new game in 15 years, making its success a welcome surprise in the gaming world. The increased demand from a growing player base seems to be the driving force behind this resurgence.

Piscatella, reflecting on the past success of Tony Hawk games at Activision, explained they were once as popular and consistently released as franchises like Call of Duty and Madden – attracting a dedicated fanbase that bought a new version every year. Now, the goal is to build on the occasional surges in interest – like those sparked by major skating game releases – and turn them into long-term, sustained popularity. While Skate might be able to achieve this, many, including Mann, would also like to see fresh, new games from other established skating series, and games that offer deeper storylines and a more realistic feel.

The developers I talked to were excited, regardless of the specific type of skating game they’re working on. They weren’t just happy to see skating games popular again, but also eager to create something that would inspire future games and keep the spirit of skating alive, as Spicer explained.

Whether someone is learning to skate for the first time or an experienced skater is picking it up again, skateboarding is a sport for people of all ages and skill levels.

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2025-10-15 01:40