EA has reneged on one of its promises for last year's Skate reboot, namely that the game will feature "no map areas locked behind paywalls".
In a news post outlining what's coming to Skate in the future, EA says that the game's third season will introduce the new Isle of Grom map, which has been expanded and filled with new areas to explore.
Initially, only Skate Pass Premium holders will be able to explore the Isle of Grom, but after the first month, the map will be opened up to everyone for a "very special multi-week event". That event is limited, though; afterwards, you'll have to pay in one form or another to access the Isle of Grom.
After the aforementioned "very special" event, you'll either need to hold the Skate Pass Premium or pay in-game Rip Chips to access the Isle of Grom, and the latter will only net you a 24-hour pass, so it's not permanent.
Technically speaking - and I mean real fine-print technical here - the new map isn't really locked behind a paywall per se, because you can theoretically access it without paying real money.
Still, though, I'd say this is...
