Downtown L.A.'s Graffiti Towers Featured in New Tony Hawk Video Game Remake
Downtown L.A.'s most infamous unfinished skyscrapers have found an unexpected second life — as a backdrop in a video gameOceanwide Plaza, the trio of half-built towers next to Crypto.com Arena, appears to be making a digital cameo in the upcoming Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4. According to Time Out, in a newly released video promoting the game's Los Angeles level, a graffiti-covered high-rise looms in the background.The real Oceanwide Plaza was supposed to be a $1 billion luxury complex with condos, hotels, and high-end shopping. Construction started in 2015 but stalled in 2019 after the Chinese developer ran out of funding. Since then, the towers have sat unfinished
The towers gained national attention in 2023 when about 27 floors were tagged with graffiti. While city officials initially promised to remove the tags, the graffiti remains more than a year later, turning Oceanwide into an accidental monument.In the game, the towers appear as part of a larger digital homage to L.A., which also includes a recreation Miracle Mile's El Rey Theatre.Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4, which launches July 11, will be previewed during a livestream event hosted at the El Rey on May 8. The invite-only THPS Fest will feature performances by Danny Brown, Lupe Fiasco, Adolescents, and Urethane. Whether Oceanwide Plaza will be cleaned up, demolished or left untouched by the time the 2028 Olympics arrive in Los Angeles remains to be seen. For now, the towers remain standing, and now, part of the Tony Hawk universe. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 releases July 11 across a variety of video game platforms, including Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
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