Skate Dev Suffers Layoffs to Better Support the Game's 'Long-Term Future'

Full Circle, the studio behind PS5 and PS4's Skate, has announced a round of layoffs.

The number of people affected has not been disclosed.

The news comes via an update on the official website, addressing the Skate community about the game's future.

The statement says the studio is being restructured "to better support skate.’s long-term future and focus the team on the things that matter most to you - and making those things great."

It notes "some roles will be impacted", stopping short of explaining how many people are being let go.

"The teammates affected are talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of skate. Their creativity and dedication are deeply ingrained in what players experience today. This decision is not a reflection of their impact and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition."

Work on the game is set to continue, with Full Circle aiming to "move faster, listen more closely, and deliver consistently" following this change.

Many years after its initial announcement, Skate finally launched in an early access state in September of last year.

It's a free-to-play reboot of the fan-favourite skateboarding series, with a large, online, open world city full of skate spots and challenges for you and other players to tackle together.

While the gameplay is excellent and in line with what fans would expect from a Skate game, many surrounding factors have come under scrutiny, including the visuals, the core structure, and the way unlocks and monetisation have been handled.

Full Circle has been steadily updating the game with new features, cosmetics, challenges, visual improvements, and seasonal events, but progress has been fairly slow and it's come under a lot of criticism from players.

This perhaps reached a breaking point very recently, when Skate's Season 3 announcements were made. The tutorial island is being brought back and expanded, but access to this part of the map is strangely restrictive, going against an early promise to never block off map updates.

Whether the game can bounce back following these layoffs remains to be seen.

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