If you grew up glued to a PlayStation or Xbox in the early 2000s, there's a good chance Tony Hawk’s Underground holds a special place in your memory.
It was more than just another skateboarding game. You could hop off your board, explore cities on foot, and shape your own character’s story.
Now, years later, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk himself has made it clear that he wants to see the game return. But as it turns out, the decision isn’t his to make.
In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Hawk was asked if a remake of Underground might be in the cards. His answer was hopeful but realistic. He said he has "aspirations" for it, but admitted it is not really up to him. Still, he is not just standing by. Hawk said he plans to "campaign all I can" to help make it happen.
Even so, it is ultimately Activision that gets to decide. Hawk acknowledged this with a bit of humility, saying he is working with a much larger company that knows what it is doing. At the moment, he confirmed there have been no actual talks about remaking Underground.
What could change that is the performance of the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake. Those games are set to release this July. If they do well, there is a chance Activision might consider bringing Underground back into the spotlight.
When Pro Skater 1 + 2 was remade and released in 2020, it sold well and was praised by longtime fans and newcomers alike. That success likely helped open the door for the next batch of remakes. But Underground was always a different kind of experience. It was developed by Neversoft in 2003 and offered a more story-driven and creative approach. You could leave your board behind, talk to other characters, and navigate parts of the level that were previously unreachable. It was more personal, more weird, and more fun in ways that stuck with people.
Its sequel came out a year later and continued the formula, adding even more bizarre missions and locations. For many fans, these games were the peak of the series.
Now that Microsoft has acquired Activision through a massive seventy-five billion dollar deal, the future of the series is in new hands. It remains to be seen what the company will decide when it comes to older titles like Underground.
For now, knowing that Tony Hawk is still invested and still speaking up for the games that shaped a generation is encouraging. He may not control the outcome, but the fact that he wants it to happen means fans are not dreaming alone.