Starting first as an unfounded rumor last year, Activision was reported to be firming up plans for a new skating title under the "Tony Hawk" franchise, although it was still unconfirmed if the game would be a sequel borrowing heavily from previous '"Tony Hawk" games, or if it would be another skating game entirely.

Pro skateboarder Tony Hawk himself previously hinted at the project, being quoted as saying, "I'm currently working with Activision on a console game for 2015 (along with a new mobile game). I think fans of [the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater] series will be hyped." 

The speculations about the new title were then inadvertently confirmed through a leaked image from an unexpected source. 

Now that the upcoming game has been firmly established, new developments on the title suggest that Activision may be trying something new, and the outcome will give the game a surprising twist. Checking the latest screenshots of the game in progress, fans will see that "Tony Hawk Pro Skater 5" plays across an entirely new visual style, almost like cel-shading. 

With the title close to its confirmed Sept. 29 release date, many are wondering why Robomodo, the developer behind the latest title, would be switching graphics at this late stage. Moreover, the biggest question for the developer is about the game being on track, since fans would definitely be wondering if these last-minute changes would affect the rgame's rollout next month.

Robomodo recently talked with Gamespot, and CEO Jos Tsui assures fans that development is still on track.

"We've always been confident in the look we were going for, but it took a while to ensure we could maintain the framerate with this style," Tsui said. "It was essential that the game run at 60fps at 1080p, even with 20 people skating online in the same session. We've achieved that, so now fans are seeing a better-looking game."