EA’s Skate reboot will reportedly include controversial loot box system

Joseph Pascoulis
skate playtest screenshot

According to EA’s Skate beta players, the free-to-play game is set to have a loot box system, which could bring monetization controversy.

EA’s Skate reboot is among some of the most highly anticipated games, like Hogwarts Legacy and Atomic Heart, but is yet to receive a release date.

That said, the devs have allowed selected players to play the new Skate game early through playtesting. We know that the game will be free-to-play, but this new live-service format for games usually comes with in-game microtransactions and a store.

Microtransactions are notoriously controversial in the gaming space, but there’s no information regarding their existence when it comes to EA’s new Skate game.

The devs have made it clear that the game won’t be pay-to-win, and while recent news from the playtesting of the game has revealed that there are now loot boxes in the build, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

How to get Skate loot boxes & rewards

According to Insider Gaming, they were told by playtesters of Skate that loot boxes are now in the build that they get to play. While at first, you may think this would involve microtransactions, apparently the only way to currently get these loot boxes is through completing in-game challenges.

Players are rewarded with “Stars” for completing challenges, which can then be used as currency to purchase loot boxes, costing around two to three Stars per box. Players get one item from these loot boxes, and the item they get is cosmetic, with rewards like skateboard stickers and clothing.

Depending on the difficulty of the challenge, players can gain more Stars, allowing them to get loot boxes more quicker. The fact that loot boxes can be earned rather than purchased makes the system much less controversial.

That said, this doesn’t mean that players won’t be able to purchase these loot boxes with real money when Skate officially launches, which is what playtesters believe, according to Insider Gaming, but only time will tell.

Even if this is the case, it’s still only cosmetic items, and there is still a way for players to earn through playing the game rather than purchasing. As official news is released about Skate’s loot boxes we’ll be sure to update you so stay tuned.


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Image Credits: EA