EA and Full Circle have revealed a new Nike SB collab for Skate, as one of the most highly anticipated collabs finally joins the game. It also comes with a complete Nike-themed makeover to the Isle of Grom skatepark, and the introduction of Grom at night. The Nike event will be on from April 14 to May 5, during which all players will have access to the Isle of Grom. Afterwards, it’s back to having to either buy a day pass to the island, or buy the premium Skate pass to access it.
Which was the bit of the Isle of Grom’s return that players didn’t love when Season 3 arrived last month. A week after Full Circle was hit with layoffs, the studio went back on its promise to have no map areas locked behind a paywall and locked the Isle of Grom behind a paywall.
“We know there would be no Skate without our community, and we’re dedicated to listening and adjusting wherever and whenever we can,” began Deran Chung, senior creative director at Full Circle, in a presentation I attended before getting the chance to go hands-on with some of the new content from the Nike SB collab. “A few weeks ago, we announced the return to the Isle of Grom, and early access through the Skate premium pass, and look. We knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision, and yeah, there were a lot of strong feelings shared about it, and we get it.“
“But the bottom line is, our new direction means making some tough calls and changes we believe are necessary for the long-term success and sustainability of the game. And while a lot of strong feelings were shared before, once Season 3 kicked off, and players saw all the updates with dark slides, and Skate Paddy’s, and really started experiencing Grom, things really balanced out. All of this to say, that we are in fact listening, and we hear you. And while we may not be able to deliver everything the way you want right away, we are paying attention, and are doing our best to deliver a great Skate game today, and for the years to come.“
Chung addressed the paywall right off the top, and while no amount of words will likely get players upset about the paywall to change their minds, Chung is not wrong that community sentiment has seemingly turned somewhat more positive after the launch of Season 3. Sure, many are still upset about it, but there are many players who believe Grom is worth the price of entry, or don’t mind that it’s paid, but wish it were packaged differently. Wherever you sit on the decision to paywall Grom, it’s clear from Chung’s statement that it’ll stay behind a paywall, at least for now.
It’s not exactly great to see Full Circle and EA go back on its pre-launch promise, but there’s likely a lot of change coming EA’s way over the next year as the buyout by Saudi Arabia PIF. So EA’s live service revival of Skate adding a paywall where it previously promised not to might just be the least of the changes to come.
But for now, let’s focus on the other changes in Skate with this event and Season 3. Firstly, the new and improved Isle of Grom is definitely a lot of fun. As someone who has played this latest iteration of the Skate series in bursts, which is to say I’ll check in for a bit, do some tricks, and hop off every once in a while, this version of Grom is great for just spending some time trying to get a nice clip, or do a challenge or two to pass a bit of time.
It looks great at night, and like a lot of the game’s community, I could spend hours trying the big gap jump from the top of the mega ramp to the skate park with the moon in the background.
And yes, all of the Nike SB stuff looks good. I don’t mind a nice sneaker or two, and I recognize the Nike SB’s are iconic, but I’ve never been too big on Nike in general. The shoes look good, but as for what I might consider spending my money on if I’m choosing to grab any cosmetics, this isn’t the collab I would do it for. But I’m sure many will.
Chung called this collaboration an important element of the game’s new direction, particularly along the lines of Skate doing its best to represent skateboarding culture. You cannot deny the place in skateboarding that Nike, so for those who really love Nike SBs, and are deep into skate culture, there’s definitely a lot to like here. The challenge names calling back to iconic Nike SB videos for example, is one added touch skaters should appreciate.
On the importance of Nike SB, Deepa San, senior director of global brand management at EA added, “Nike SB has been an institution in skateboarding for more than 25 years. Bringing Nike SB’s rich history into our game is another step toward making Skate feel as true to real skating as we can for players.”
Speaking of the challenges, they’re definitely fun to try, and even though I’m not one who generally needs to do any of the challenges to have a good time in Skate, if you’re already into the idea of adding some Nike apparel to your collection, it’s nice to see the Nike SB Dunk High colorway that is arguably the most iconic, the white and red, not locked behind a paywall but instead can be earned through gameplay.
It’s at least a bit of a silver lining through it all, if you’re looking for one. This will not be the last branded collaboration the game gets, and it wouldn’t be surprising if, down the line, we start to see more than just the Isle of Grom go behind a paywall. New areas added to the game as it moves closer to 1.0 may also get added to the premium pass, if Full Circle feels the backlash towards doing it with Grom is outweighed by the amount of players who just pay for the access anyway, whether they mind the fact that they’re paying in the first place or not.
We all pay for things we’d rather get for free, and if EA and Full Circle see players are more than willing to pay for new areas, that could be part of the path forward to the sustainability Chung mentioned previously.
Is it that the path I would want Full Circle to choose for Skate? Not at all. I’d much rather the studio focus on monetizing cosmetics. I don’t love the idea of paying for my digital skater to wear the same shoes I’d be into, either through paying with cash or paying with hours and hours of time spent grinding in-game, but that’s better than having to pay for what is arguably the best area in Skate. Having to pay for both is the unfortunate worst-case scenario we’re now in.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech’s gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry’s movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he’s done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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