Easy Day Studios

Easy Day Studios is a game development studio best known for Skater XL, a realistic skateboarding game focused on freedom of movement, performing tricks and an authentic skateboarding experience.

The project’s roots lie in the game Skater, which was originally created for mobile devices. The developers later drew on this experience to create the significantly more ambitious Skater XL, designed for PC and games consoles.

Skater XL differs significantly from classic skateboarding games such as Tony Hawk. Instead of pre-set combinations and arcade-style controls, it uses a system in which each analogue stick controls one of the skater’s feet.

This allows the player to combine movements naturally and create tricks based on how they manoeuvre the analogue sticks. Ollies, kickflips, heelflips and other tricks are therefore not merely simple animations triggered by a single button.

The gameplay emphasises skateboard physics, precise timing and the player’s creativity. A large part of the experience involves finding suitable spots and then trying out your own tricks, lines and combinations.

Skater XL offers several expansive environments inspired by real-world locations and skateboarding culture. Players can skate along streets, in skateparks, on stairs, handrails, ramps and other obstacles.

The game also features real professional skateboarders, such as Tiago Lemos, Evan Smith, Tom Asta and Brandon Westgate, alongside licensed skateboarding equipment and clothing brands.

Community-created content is a key part of Skater XL. Players and modders have created new maps, equipment and other content, with some of these community creations also made available to console players.

The game was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC and later came to Nintendo Switch as well. Thanks to backwards compatibility, it can also be played on newer PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Thanks to Skater XL, Easy Day Studios has joined the ranks of developers who have sought to offer a more realistic alternative to classic arcade skateboarding games. Rather than chasing an extremely high score, Skater XL focuses primarily on mastering individual tricks, experimenting and an authentic skateboarding style.