SSX Project Gravity concept art reveals the canceled successor to EA’s iconic snowboarding series

The iconic snowboarding series SSX received a bittersweet glimpse of what could have been as recent concept art from SSX Project Gravity surfaced online. The project, which was supposed to be the spiritual successor of SSX, developed by Supernatural Studios, was canceled. 

Former team member and art director Gordon Wang shared the concept art on ArtStation just a few days ago, titled “Undisclosed Action Adventure Racing,” sharing a sneak peek into the project’s ambitious vision, with high-thrill snowboarding packed with futuristic elements that paid homage to the original SSX games.

The concept art included a mix of illustrations and in-engine screenshots, prototyped in Unreal Engine 5. It showcased alpine peaks and gravity-defying slopes, along with rails to grind on.

The SSX franchise dominated the snowboarding genre in the 2000s under Electronic Arts’ EA Sports Big brand, which began with the release of SSX in 2000 and peaked with fan favorites like SSX Tricky in 2001 and SSX 3 in 2003. It's reported that the franchise sold over 3 million copies in its lifetime and earned numerous awards along with praise for its intricate mechanics, memorable cast of characters, and catchy soundtrack.

After a seven-year hiatus, EA rebooted the series in 2012 with SSX for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, developed by EA Canada, which introduced exploration modes. The game received a generally favorable Metacritic score of 82, but did not receive any sequels, leaving the IP pretty much dormant for over a decade. 

We haven’t seen any new SSX titles since, with attempts like Ubisoft’s Steep, released in 2016, partially scratching the itch with more realistic gameplay rather than SSX’s signature arcade vibe.

Project Gravity was poised to revive the game with a live-service, free-to-play multiplayer game. It was codenamed by Supernatural Studios and was being published by 2K. SSX co-creators Steve Rechtschaffner and Larry LaPierre founded Supernatural Studios in 2020, assembling much of the game’s original talent, and described the game as an “arcadey, amazing-feeling, very accessible, competitive, and fun game.”

Development continued on the project until it was abruptly canceled in February 2024 when EA withdrew support amid industry-wide challenges like layoffs and a shortage of funding.