More Skate 4 playtesting has begun, and while footage of the next game in the series hasn't leaked online (yet) a lot of details about it have found their way out into the wild, including how the pre-alpha is looking compared to earlier this year, and some of the new features that have already been implemented.
The leaked information comes courtesy of MYNAMEISSHENDRIK who shared everything they know so far via a very long post on Reddit. The info comes from a handful of different people who have been lucky enough to take part in the most recent Skate 4 playtest, all of whom have remained anonymous.
Top of the bill is how the game looks, something EA has been open about as recently as last week's trailer. The game still looks a lot like it did in the playtest footage that leaked earlier this year. Its map seems to be a mix of new areas and untextured ones from older games, as well as an area called The Space Store with a large Saturn statue. Bus stops will be used to fast travel, the locations of which can be found on the map that is also part of the leak, and your home base will be a unique skate park added to as you progress.
Players are given three different control options that seem to have been used in place of difficulty options. Classic, streamlined, and experienced. There are separate control options for PC players. The players themselves are not silent, but at present don't say much, just phrases like “cheers” and a few others linked to emotes.
Considering the game's pre-pre-pre-alpha state, nothing in the lengthy post above is guaranteed to make the final Skate 4 cut. Any of the above could be removed, especially if testing proves it to be unnecessary or problematic. As for when the full game will launch, there are already Halloween stickers available to playtesters. Since it seems unlikely Skate 4 will be ready for a full launch by this October, a 2023 release date seems likely.