Tony Hawk's

Lore & Background

The series began when Activision approached Neversoft to develop a skateboarding game to capitalize on the sport's growing popularity. Originally conceived as a racing game similar to Sega's Top Skater, the idea was abandoned after Neversoft demonstrated a more free-flowing control engine. Activision signed Tony Hawk as the face of the brand late in development; his name and likeness were included after the game was already underway. Hawk's licensing contract initially ran until 2002, then was renewed until 2015.

Reader's Guide

The Tony Hawk's series is significant for defining the skateboarding video game genre with its arcade-style trick system, which emphasized high scores through aerials, grinds, manuals, and special moves. The first five Neversoft-developed games received critical acclaim, with Pro Skater 2 and Pro Skater 3 ranked among the best games for their respective PlayStation consoles. Later entries under Robomodo, particularly Ride and Pro Skater 5, received negative reviews and poor sales. After the license expired in 2015, Activision retained publishing rights. The series returned in 2020 with a remake of the first two games, and a remake of the third and fourth games followed in 2025. A fan-made online multiplayer game, THUG Pro, continued to support the community using the Underground 2 engine.

Did You Know?

• The first game bearing Tony Hawk's name not published by Activision was Tony Hawk's Skate Jam, released in December 2018 for iOS and Android.
• Tony Hawk: Ride and Shred used a peripheral skateboard with infrared sensors instead of a standard controller.
• The series spawned spin-offs including Downhill Jam (2006) and Motion (2008).
• Unlockable characters in various versions included Shrek and Spider-Man.