In a recent Twitch stream with ‘andyTHPS,’ Tony Hawk himself revealed that Pro Skater 3 & 4 remasters were originally part of the plan but were quickly shut down amidst an Activision reshuffle.
After months of rumors and speculation regarding the development and release of more Pro Skater games, Tony Hawk has come out and addressed why new games aren’t going ahead and what the future could look like for the franchise.
When Activison announced in May 2020 that Vicarious Visions would be working on a remaster of the classic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 games, fan excitement was through the roof.
When released later that year in September, critics and gamers alike were pleased with how solid the remaster and update was. For those who grew up playing the original titles on the Playstation 1 and 2, the blend of nostalgia and updated controllers was a real winning combination.
The success of this remaster had fans eagerly waiting for more. However, major changes throughout Activision meant further games were scrapped from the agenda, Tony revealed.
Why Pro Skater 3 & 4 remasters aren’t happening
On a Twitch stream with andyTHPS, Tony Hawk discussed if any more Tony Hawk’s games were on the way.
He revealed the scrapped plans for future games and the reasoning for this decision.
“I wish I could say that we had something in the works but Vicarious Visions got disbanded and Activision is going through all their stuff so I don’t know what’s next.”
Tony Hawk explaining why THPS 3 and 4 didn’t get made pic.twitter.com/8ItOOA4oPn
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) June 20, 2022
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Hawk then went on to add that even up until the release date of Pro Skater 1+2, they “were going 3 and 4.”
However, it seems as though the real nail in the coffin for the future of Pro Skater was when Vicarious Visions officially merged with Blizzard.
“Vicarious got absorbed and then they were looking for other developers and then it was over,” he explained.
Tony Hawk wasn’t the only one surprised when the news dropped that Vicarious Visions would be merging with Blizzard. At the end of 2021, the 31 year old studio changed its name to Blizzard Albany (where the studios are located) and now are fully committed to working on Blizzard titles and content.
We’ve officially merged with Blizzard Entertainment. Our development team will remain in Albany, NY and fully dedicated to Blizzard games. We invite you to follow us @Blizzard_Ent
— Vicarious Visions (@VvisionsStudio) April 12, 2022
Does the Tony Hawk’s franchise have a future under Activision?
When asked if it game was cut due to Activision’s lack of faith in the project, Hawk replied and said that “the truth of it is that they were trying to find someone to do 3 and 4 but they just didn’t really trust anyone the way they did Vicarious.”
So while Activision did try to find a home for the future of the Tony Hawk’s franchise, nothing has been able to stick as of yet. Their desire to search for new developers to take over is a hopeful sign though.
If the right team and idea come along down the line, there’s still a chance we see Pro Skater 3 + 4 remasters at some stage. For now though, gamers will simply have to be satisfied with the Pro Skater 1 + 2 remasters which still hold up as some of the best remakes of all time.
