Since the release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater back in 1999, Tony Hawk has without a doubt become the face of skateboarding video games. From the Underground series to the release of American Wasteland, the vast majority of the titles toting his name have gone on to become bonafide cult-classics in their own right, with large communities dedicated to still playing and enjoying the fast-paced skating classics years after their release. It seems that Tony Hawk is far from ready to stop plastering his name over popular skateboarding video games, however, with a recent leak hinting that a new release may be on its way.
Discovered in a listing on German video game retailer Gameware, it seems the existence of a new entry in the Tony Hawk skating franchise titled Tony Hawk: Alcatraz has been unveiled. The site claims that the game will be released on October 20, on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and will seemingly retail for 69 euros.
The listing alone has a lot to dig into, most crucially within the bizarre subtitle attached to it. As fans of the franchise will know, Alcatraz Island is a location that's been used before in the Tony Hawk games, with the player able to skate around the abandoned prison that lies at its center in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4. However, it seems strange to imagine that an experience based within the relatively small location would be able to offer enough content for a full-priced skating video game, so perhaps the use of Alcatraz refers to the game's hub or something else entirely.
There's also the game's fairly close release date, with the listing claiming the title will hit shelves later this year. It does make sense that the game would be coming to modern hardware if it's releasing in late October, with next-generation consoles seemingly dropping in the months following that date. It would also lineup with a number of rumors claiming that a new entry in the skating franchise is releasing this year, with experimental punk rock band The Death Set claiming it recorded music for a 2020 Tony Hawk game.
Regardless, fans will no doubt be glad to hear that the Tony Hawk franchise is getting another swing at bringing its formula to the modern-day after its last release was so unanimously panned. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5 was seen by the vast majority as a buggy and boring mess, with the game using the franchise's once-glowing reputation to squeeze money out of the fanbase. Hopefully, Tony Hawk: Alcatraz, whatever it turns out to be, will bring the series back with a bang.
Tony Hawk: Alcatraz will allegedly launch on October 30, 2020 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.