Skate fans are up in arms after devs announced the return of the tutorial zone and the fact that there’ll be a cost to enter. This comes after devs assured no areas would ever be “locked behind paywalls.”
In a February 20, 2026 Dev Update blog post, the skate team announced its first set of changes and additions fans can expect in Season 3. Among them are new cosmetics with real-world brands, and upgrades to the replay editor.
However, the biggest piece of information is the return and expansion of the tutorial zone. When starting skate, players load into a tutorial area. After about 10 minutes of learning the basic controls, the game then teleports you to the main map, and there’s no way to return without starting over on a new character.
This tutorial area, despite its smaller scope, was a bit of a fan favorite thanks to some unique terrain. As such, devs have expanded its scope somewhat and announced its return. The only caveat, players can’t head there at any time without paying for a round-trip.
Returning to skate’s tutorial area comes with a cost
Now called the Isle of Grom, devs outlined how the tutorial area is being “expanded with a ton of new spots to skate and explore.
A side-by-side comparison in the dev blog shows roughly the same layout, with a few new additions and the color palette swap from earlier seasons in effect. “We think Grom is going to be one of your favorite spots,” devs said.
So how does it all work and why is there outrage? Well, to be clear, everyone does have access to the location free of charge, but only during a certain period of time. The issue is that it’s not permanently accessible for free. Let’s break it down.
When the tutorial island morphs into the Isle of Grom in Season 3, only Skate Pass Premium owners will have access. This runs from March 10 – April 14.
After that, from April 14 – May 5, anyone will be able to jump in. No costs attached.
However, from May 5 – June 2, and presumably ongoing from there, you’ll have to pay up. Skate Pass Premium owners will have unlimited access, but for those without, you’ll be able to buy a new ‘day pass’ of sorts. For 500 Rip Chips (skate’s earnable virtual currency), you can grab a pass for the island that lasts 24 hours.
So to start, premium access only, then free for everyone, then back to premium, but with another option including earnable currency. Got all that?
Skate’s new Isle of Grom sparks backlash
Since the announcement, fans have been in uproar for a number of reasons. Some are avoiding the pricing debacle and instead taking issue with the appearance of the Isle of Grom, arguing the new version is nearly identical to the original.
Though the bulk of the backlash centers on the cost, and in particular, how devs have gone back on their word. In the lead-up to skate’s Early Access launch, devs assured, “No map areas [will be] locked behind [a] paywall.”
Now, five months removed from the start of Early Access, there is indeed an area set to be locked behind a paywall of sorts.
“It’s like you guys didn’t even read your own rules,” one agitated player said. “Can’t believe we have to pay to go back to tutorial island. What a joke,” another chimed in.
Others took a harsher approach, questioning if the goal of this decision was to “kill the game?” “Servers turn off end of this year, I call it,” one player speculated.
Addressing some of the backlash on X (formerly Twitter), the skate account replied, saying “We launched skate in Early Access so we could build it with players, not behind closed doors.
“Yes, sometimes plans have to change. That’s part of the deal when you’re building in public. We’re here, we’re listening, and we’re going to keep shaping skate together.”
Skate’s player count has only continued to dwindle in Early Access, at least judging by Steam numbers. While the game peaked at 134,901 concurrents at launch, it’s since dropped to a 24-hour peak of 2,646 concurrent players.
Of course, that doesn’t factor in those playing on console, but it does show tens of thousands not returning to play more on PC, even with sizable updates and new seasons.
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