As soon as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 dropped, fans noticed Bam Margera was missing from the roster.
Despite his iconic moments in Jackass, Viva La Bam, and previous Tony Hawk titles, Bam didn't make it onto the initial list of returning skaters.
Given his rocky history in recent years, many assumed he'd been quietly left out.
But according to a recent discussion on The Nine Club's spin-off podcast, The Live Club (reported by VGC), that wasn't the end of the story. The game was apparently finished without Bam, but Tony Hawk wasn't ready to move on without him.
As the story has it, Hawk took it upon himself to call Activision and demand Bam's inclusion, even though the game was already deemed finished.
Podcast co-host Roger Bagley explained that Tony essentially told the publisher, "Hey, we're putting Bam in the thing," and refused to take no for an answer. Even though Activision initially pushed back, Hawk got what he wanted.
The team is said to have flown Bam out, had him body-scanned, and added him to the game at the last minute. Bam later confirmed this himself during a livestream, revealing he had recorded voice lines and had already been scanned for the game.
His return was unexpected, particularly after his previous removal from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, where even his face was removed from a poster. After everything Bam went through, from legal issues to being fired from Jackass Forever, his return wasn't something anyone anticipated.
While Activision hasn't confirmed Bam's appearance yet, it seems Tony Hawk made sure his old friend wasn't forgotten.
For fans of the original games, we're so back.