Starting April 14, Nike SB injected a heavy dose of skateboarding history and style into Season Three of Skate’s beta. From new gear, to new challenges and sequences, the game took a big step in the right direction by gracing gamers with a dose of nostalgia weaved into new and exciting features.
With each season of the beta popping out with new collaborations and branding, Nike SB is making a triumphant stand in this season’s latest update. This event rolls out a lineup of iconic Nike SB gear, a transformation of the “Isle of Grom” skatepark into “Grom at Night”, and re-introduces challenges inspired by classic challenges and tasks like Wayback Layback and Chronicles (Vol. 1 & 2).
Now through May 5, all Skate gamers and enthusiasts can enjoy free access to the Barge skatepark at Grom. In addition, by popular demand, the newly introduced night mode allows the community to skate around Grom after dark with a new lighting setup for the whole park.
Drip-wise, the game will now allow players three more sneaker options, with multiple colorways of the Dunk High BTTYS, Dunk Low Pro, and Zoom Blazer Mid. The option to rock the SB Dunk Highs & Lows gives players the chance to lace up in the same kicks that made waves in real-life skate culture, in the game.
Completing new tasks and missions in the game unlocks SB gear and accessories, reviving the “earn it” mentality that originally kept players skating until their digital wheels wore out. The collaboration not only introduces various sneaker colorways, but also adds the Nike SB hoodie, baggy jorts, shirts, ball cap, and black socks to the mix.
With the shockwaves still felt from the weight of Skate’s predecessors, many in the online gaming community have been anticipating a move from Skate that taps deeper into the culture it helped to cultivate. As the Beta continues to evolve, this partnership marks much of the intention behind nostalgia and producing fresh expectations.
In an interview with Complex, Daren Chung, Senior Creative Director at Skate, explains that, “The Nike SB thing had been in the works for a while and we knew the community was really thirsty for it, so we felt it was important to add more than just cosmetics and give them an addition to the game itself. Yes, it’s a nostalgia hit, but it’s also super relevant at the same time.”
He then went on to talk about mitigating expectations while delivering on new material. “There are a lot of folks who respond to the updates and say ‘Ahhh it’s not everything that I wanted from past games.’ And in response to them, yes, some of that stuff is coming to the game. However, we are also trying to look for new ways to keep things fresh and representative of the culture today instead of recreating an old feeling.”
A highlight of this collaboration went down at Primitive Skatepark in SoCal’s Valley, where pro skaters, game devs, and influencers mixed it up right at the heart of skate culture. Between treflipping over the park’s pyramids, Dashawn Jordan dropped by to give us the inspiration behind his new Nike SB Dunk Low “Copperhead.”
“If you would’ve asked me what my favorite SB was a couple years ago the answer’d be different, but now I’d have to say my colorway of the Nike SB Dunks Low,” Jordan says. They’re Arizona inspired; I’m from there and I used to rock the 2001 Championship Diamondbacks hat when I was younger. Growing up in Arizona, that same purple and metallic copperhead pattern was a staple and I’ve always loved the colorway, so that’s really what inspired the shoe.”
Chung shares the same love for the SB Dunk Lows, though he admitted his favorite had to be the “Midnight Navy Black” colorway.
Sneakers and accessories are the heartbeat of today’s skate culture, evolving right alongside tastes, tech, and trending hashtags. Far beyond basic board-grippers, skate shoes now shout style, rep big collabs, and even champion social causes—all while keeping you upright. As trends race across the web, kicks and gear have become a calling card, inviting more people to jump in, stand out, and keep their spirit at the forefront of their style.
As skate culture continues to evolve in the digital age, its reach and influence have expanded far beyond the skatepark. Daren Chung captures this shift perfectly saying, “The way people are consuming culture is different … everyone has a platform in their pocket and so now we’re seeing this really cool thing where people are becoming skate personalities without being an actual pro, which I love, because it’s all just encouragement to get people outside and on a board—which was always our goal.”
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