The upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake for Nintendo Switch has gutted the fourth entry by removing its iconic free-roaming Career Mode. Fans are disappointed as challenges will now be time-limited, altering the core gameplay experience and level design.

Activision's announcement of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 for the Nintendo Switch was met with initial excitement, but that excitement has quickly turned to disappointment. The remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 will undergo significant changes that impact the overall gameplay experience.

The most notable alteration is the removal of the original Career Mode. > This means players will no longer be able to freely roam and tackle challenges at their own pace, a feature that defined the fourth installment. Instead, challenges will now operate under a strict 2-minute time limit, similar to the earlier titles in the series.

While a Free Roam mode will still be available, it won't include the integrated challenges that were a hallmark of the original Career Mode. This change effectively "streamlines" the game, creating a more consistent transition from THPS 3 to THPS 4.

The developer, Iron Galaxy, has essentially altered the core design of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, which was originally built around free-roaming gameplay.

Many fans are understandably upset by this decision. The unique level design of THPS 4 was specifically created to accommodate free exploration and challenge completion. Removing this element fundamentally changes the way the game feels and plays.

The full impact of these changes remains to be seen, and a final verdict will have to wait until the game is reviewed upon its release in July 2025. However, the removal of the Career Mode is a significant blow to fans of the original. There is hope that Iron Galaxy and Activision might reconsider and add the original Career Mode as downloadable content in the future, responding to the outcry from the community.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is still scheduled to launch on Nintendo Switch on July 11th, 2025.