It's been four years since a Pro Skater game has been released, but nearly seventeen years since fans have seen a good entry in the series. Back in 2015 Pro Skater 5 launched as a commercial failure and was panned by critics as one of the worst in the series. The previous installment, Pro Skater 4, was the last installment in the series that earned positive reviews — way back in 2002.
So it's understandable if fans are cautiously optimistic about the rumors in both the gaming and skateboarding industries that hint at another game from Tony Hawk. Pro skater Lizzie Armanto said in an appearance on The Nine Club podcast, "[Hawk's] coming out with another one, and I’ll be in that too." Comments which have been mysteriously edited out of some recordings, accounts of which have been covered by other notable gaming outlets like Destructoid and GamesRadar.
With a new console generation on the horizon with the release Sony's Playstation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Scarlett, one can only hope this is Maple Media's attempt to rectify the mistakes made with Pro Skater 5.
Having gained the series' rights from Activision last year, and only releasing the iOS & Android game, Tony Hawk's Skate Jam, this is certainly their time to shine. Not much is known about the company though, so it's hard to guess where its mind is at.
The fans have seemingly spoken, however, because in response to Pro Skater 5, and in hopes of keeping the franchise alive as they know it, they have created Tony Hawk's Underground Pro. This which is a mod collecting together all the levels of the Tony Hawk games developed by Neversoft from 1999-2007.
The now defunct co-developer of Pro Skater 5, Robundo, said on twitter that it was a good alternative for those that wanted the split-screen multiplayer that the critically panned game lacked. Only time will tell if Maple Media is not only making a new game, but also the right choices.