Bam Margera might be in new ‘Pro Skater’ game, after all — reportedly at Tony Hawk’s insistence
Margera appeared in both original games — which date back to the early 2000s — but his name was not publicized on the initial list of returning characters for the reboot.
After being conspicuously absent from the roster of playable characters in the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 game, it looks like Chester County native Bam Margera might make an appearance after all.
And it’s reportedly thanks to Tony Hawk himself.
A remake of the third and fourth installments of publisher Activision’s popular skateboarding game series was announced earlier this month. While Margera appeared in both original games — which date to the early 2000s — his name was not on the initial list of returning characters for the combined reboot.
For fans of the Pro Skater game series, Margera is an important figure, having appeared in seven of its 12 main installments. His apparent omission from the forthcoming remake fueled outrage among some gamers, and prompted speculation that his recent legal controversies and reported substance abuse issues resulted in the cut.
Activision has not publicly confirmed whether Margera would appear in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, and declined to comment when reached by The Inquirer, saying that there is “much more to come before we launch in July.” But it has been alleged that Margera would be in the game following the Birdman’s push for the former Jackass star’s inclusion.
That’s according to Roger Bagley, co-host of the popular skateboarding podcast The Nine Club. On a recent episode of the podcast, Bagley said Hawk pressured Activision to add Margera at the last minute.
“The game was already done. Tony called up Activision or whatever was like, ‘Hey, we’re putting Bam in the thing, and they’re like, ‘We can’t,‘” Bagley said. “And he goes, ‘No, you’re going to do it,’ and basically made them fly Bam back out here to get body-scanned and everything else, and put him in the game.”
Neither Hawk nor Margera has publicly commented on Bagley’s claims. But according to TMZ, Margera’s appearance in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 is a go.
The outlet reported, citing anonymous sources, that Hawk had been impressed with Margera’s efforts to stay sober, and wanted to include him in the game. Margera, incidentally, shared footage on social media of himself skateboarding with Hawk earlier this month, which prompted speculation that he could be added to the game.
» READ MORE: A step-by-step look at Bam Margera's legal case in Chester County
If Margera does appear, it would be his first appearance in a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater installment in nearly two decades. He last was featured in Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground in 2007.
If not, it wouldn’t be the first nostalgia-driven reboot lacking Margera’s presence in recent years. In 2022, Margera was almost totally removed from Jackass Forever, making only a single blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo, and appearing 45th on the film’s list of 49 credits. And in Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2, released in 2020, an image of Margera was removed from an in-game banner in one level.
But whether or not Bam appears in the game, at least one Margera will be — kind of. Margera’s brother, Jesse, can be heard playing drums on metal band CKY’s “96 Quite Bitter Beings,” which originally appeared on the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 soundtrack and will return for the reboot.
Last year, Margera pleaded guilty to two counts of disorderly conduct in a 2023 incident in which he was accused of assaulting Jesse and threatening other family members. Margera was sentenced to six months probation, which he allegedly violated after being accused of driving under the influence in Fulton County. He was briefly jailed in Chester County, later being admitted to a short-term inpatient rehabilitation facility in the West Chester area.
“Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4″ is available for preorder and is slated to be released July 11.