Skate developer Full Circle announces layoffs ahead of new game release

Source: Mashable Tech

Layoffs Announcement

Full Circle, the gaming studio behind the new iteration of Skate, has announced a restructuring involving layoffs at its headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia. Founded in 2021 as a subsidiary of Electronic Arts, Full Circle joins a series of AAA studios facing cuts, with Ubisoft Toronto laying off 40 employees recently.

In their public‑facing announcement, titled “skate.’s Next Chapter”, the company expressed that the people affected are “talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of skate,” while acknowledging the “tens of millions” who have explored the Early Access version released last September. The statement read:

“To our departing teammates: thank you. skate. exists because of your hard work and dedication to the craft.”

Original Skate Series

The original Skate games launched in the late 2000s for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, positioning themselves as more realistic skateboarding experiences compared to the rival Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series. Fans praised the tight controls, inventive city settings, and soundtrack, earning the first Skate game the “Sports Game of the Year” award at the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. The series remained on indefinite hold until the announcement of skate. (often referred to by fans as Skate 4), intended as a live‑service, sandbox‑style multiplayer title—a direction that divided longtime fans.

Early Access Reception

While the final release of the new Skate game is still pending, the Early Access version has been available for almost six months. Early reviews are mixed:

• Criticisms: inclusion of microtransactions (e.g., $25 clothing items), online‑only gameplay restriction, and homogenized character design.
• Praise: free‑to‑play accessibility and the core skateboarding experience.

Impact and Outlook

The exact number of employees laid off at Full Circle has not been disclosed. However, EA, the parent company, “lost approximately 5% of its workforce” in 2024 during its latest round of layoffs, according to Daily Hive.

The future of skate. remains uncertain, with no announced final release date and the recent restructuring adding further ambiguity to the project’s development timeline.