Skate's Early Access Launch Struggles With Server Outages

Electronic Arts’ long-awaited return of the Skate franchise launched in Early Access on September 16, but the debut quickly ran into widespread server problems. This is the first new entry in the series in fifteen years and comes five years after its official announcement. Developed by EA’s studio Full Circle, Skate is free to play, a change that drew large numbers of players eager to get online immediately.

Within hours of release, players began reporting extreme queue times. Screenshots showed individuals waiting behind more than 25,000 others, though there were also reported queues of over 50,000. Extended waits led many to abandon attempts altogether, while those who did gain access frequently encountered connection errors that forced them back into line. Others described being stuck in infinite loading screens after the tutorial. One player reported that after finally reaching the front of the queue, the game displayed a message claiming they had no internet access before placing them into an even longer wait.

The problems escalated when the servers went offline for maintenance during the launch period. Players attempting to log in received messages stating “Server Is Under Maintenance” with error code 852146987. Another notification read, “Failed to connect to EA services. Please check your internet connection.” On DownDetector, more than 1,500 people reported outages linked to EA servers, though the broader network appeared unaffected. The disruption was limited to Skate’s Early Access and was caused by the surge in demand.

The development team acknowledged the outage publicly and confirmed that immediate maintenance was underway to address the issue. They also said that Skate had set a record for the largest playtest sign-up in EA history, which exceeded server capacity. Full Circle stated that additional servers were being deployed to reduce queue times and stabilize connections. By later in the day, some improvements were visible, with more players gaining entry, though many still experienced disconnections and unstable performance.

Frustration grew because Skate requires a constant online connection, while earlier entries in the franchise allowed offline play. Players uninterested in online features expressed particular dissatisfaction, as the lack of an offline mode meant they were entirely dependent on server stability to access the game.

At the same time, the game’s in-game economy came under attention. Skate launched with microtransactions, including the San Van Bucks currency, which can be purchased with real money and used for cosmetic items and seasonal content. The system was available before the game left Early Access, leading players to observe how monetization was already active while technical issues were still being resolved.

While server-side issues require fixes from the developer, players shared potential solutions for problems on their end. Suggested steps included restarting the game or launcher, verifying game files on Steam or Epic Games, rebooting routers to refresh connections, using VPNs to bypass regional slowdowns, or switching to wired internet for greater stability. In some cases, reinstalling the game was recommended. Though these methods addressed local issues, when servers were offline or overloaded, the only option was to wait.

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