Olympic skateboarder Margielyn Didal is now a playable character in the upcoming video game Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, the latest installment in the beloved Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise.
Posted by video game company Iron Galaxy Studios on its social media platforms, a teaser video shows several of the tricks that players can do with Didal’s character, including a nollie flip underflip, a frontside bluntside, and a frontside crooked, among others. Players can also customize Didal’s outfit and skateboard of choice.
In the video, Didal also speaks about her own skating journey, citing American skateboarder Nyjah Huston and Brazilian skateboarder Letícia Bufoni as her inspirations. “My advice to other kids is [to] just try skateboarding or even other sports,” Didal says in the video. “Just have fun and don’t forget why you started.”
Born in Cebu to a carpenter father and a street vendor mother, Didal spent her childhood helping her mother sell kwek-kwek near the now-closed Concave Skate Park. At 12, a Christmas gift from one of Concave’s regulars — a skateboard — sparked her passion for skating. Her talent quickly grew, catching the attention of coach Daniel Bautista, who discovered her potential.
After competing in local competitions, Didal entered the skateboarding spotlight after winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. That same year, she became the first Filipino to join the ESPN-founded action sport event X Games. She rose to global stardom in 2021, when she represented the Philippines at the Tokyo Olympics. Although an ankle injury prevented Didal from joining the 2024 Paris Olympics, the skateboarder has dedicated her time to giving back to her community by opening up her own skatepark in Soul Sierra, Cebu City. Soul Sierra is now the training venue for the Philippine National Skate Team.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 will be available starting July 11 on the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, PlayStation 4 and 5, Microsoft PC Store, Nintendo Switch, and Battle.net. The base game is currently available for pre-order at P3,000, while the digital deluxe edition is priced at P4,200.
