Team Up. Thrown Down. The award-winning SKATE franchise returns to break new ground with SKATE 3. Delivering the definitive co-op skateboarding experience, it's up to players to build the ultimate team and change the face of the city. Get ready to take on unique team challenges, compete against rival crews online and shred the streets of the all new skaters’ paradise, Port Carverton. Everyone can throw down in SKATE 3. New skate fans can learn the ins and outs of skateboarding with the all-new Skate.School - a place to practice and hone their skills on the sticks before hitting the streets with their team. SKATE 3 delivers all the camaraderie and competition of skateboarding. New tricks, improved off board actions, and gnarly Hall of Meat carnage mixed with exciting new team-based gameplay takes SKATE 3 to a new level of skateboarding fun.

In contrast with the original Skate, two new difficulty levels have been added: "Easy" and "Hardcore" modes. "Easy Mode" allows the player to perform tricks easier and provides greater control of the character. "Hardcore Mode" attempts a closer simulation of skateboarding and the player must perform tricks precisely. The game also features an introductory "Skate School", where Coach Frank (Jason Lee) teaches players the basics of skateboarding, such as grinding and performing ollies. This feature is optional and the area can also be visited for unrestricted skateboarding.

Similar to the Tony Hawk games, Skate features a "Skate Park" that allows players to build custom skate parks.

EA introduced three new online game modes: "1-Up", "Domination", and "Own The Lot". In "1-Up", players compete in turns to beat the other team's last score in a given time period. In "Domination", teams compete to gain the most points on set spots in an area within a time limit. In "Own The Lot", the teams compete to be the first to complete a number of specified tricks in a certain area.