In the world of skateboarding, few individuals understand the unpredictability of life better than legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk. The skating legend recently revealed that Activision’s once-eager endeavour to roll out the remastered versions of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 has ended up face-planting into the tarmac.
From Remaster Plans to a Merged Developer: The Unplanned Twist
Hot off the decks in late 2020, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 flipped onto the gaming scene, landing smoothly as the fastest-selling title in the franchise. It managed to grind over a million sales in its maiden fortnight and attracted rave reviews from critics. A gorgeously updated trip down memory lane, this combo pack brought back to life the original 1999 and 2000 titles with stunning 4K graphics and a chunk of the iconic licensed tunes. While it didn’t add any new tricks to the originals, fans saw it as a jumping-off ramp for the series’ future spins.
Given the roaring success of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, it would have been a no-brainer to push the next pair of games through the remastering workshop. Even the Birdman himself, in a candid Twitch session, confirmed that Activision had initially kickflipped on this very idea. But in an unexpected plot twist, Vicarious Visions, the original developers, found themselves absorbed into Blizzard, and just like that, the plans for the remaster started fading like a worn-out deck design.
The plot further thickens when Tony Hawk discloses that Activision did try to ollie over the hurdles by seeking a fresh developer after Vicarious Visions’ exit. However, it seems the studio wasn’t impressed by the new line-ups and decided to grind the project to a halt, with Hawk remarking, “They didn’t trust anyone quite like they did Vicarious.”
Why the sudden shift, you ask? The answer might lie in Blizzard’s lap. Vicarious Visions found themselves grafted into the gaming giant post their work on Diablo 2: Resurrected in April 2022. They’ve since swapped their name to Blizzard Albany and are known to be sharpening their axes for Diablo 4. Given their prowess in live service games, it appears that Activision may have decided to channel their talents towards the Diablo sequel, leaving the skatepark behind.
A New Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater in Sight
So, what’s next? Is this the end of the half-pipe for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4? Not if Tony Hawk can help it. Despite the disappointment, he isn’t throwing in the towel just yet, saying, “Maybe when all the dust settles, we’ll figure it out.” Perhaps, once the saga of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard calms down, the Birdman might be able to carve out a new path for a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Skater XL Mods: Enhance Your Gameplay
For now, though, fans can still kick back and enjoy the remastered Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, available across Windows PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: IGN
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Stephen is the proud owner of a popular gaming news website GLN, where he provides the latest updates on everything gaming-related. With a passion for video games that dates back to his childhood, Stephen is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with fellow gamers around the world.