Summary

  • Foamstars will be free-to-play starting October 4, 2024, after struggling to retain players with its original pricing model.
  • Square Enix is making this change to boost engagement and expand the game's player base.
  • Existing players will receive exclusive rewards as part of the transition, showing a commitment to those who supported the game early on.

Foamstars will be going free to play on October 4. Released in February, Foamstars has not made much noise in the gaming community since then. Although Foamstars was made by Toylogic, the developer responsible for Nier Replicant's remaster in 2021, and it was published by Square Enix, a notable brand name, Foamstars appears to have needed a boost from its creators.

After it was released with plenty of hype from Square Enix, Foamstars suffered a drop in player count. The game received middling reviews and struggled to find ways to keep its audience consistently engaged. One potential roadblock has been its price. In contrast to the many free-to-play shooters out there, like Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Fortnite that exist on multiple platforms, Foamstars is $29.99 and requires a PlayStation Plus membership. Players haven't been particularly incentivized to drop what they're doing and spend their money on it, and Square Enix seems conscious of this.

Soa and Agito from Foamstars
Foamstars: 5 Best Stars To Play For Beginners

Foamstars has plenty of fun and unique characters that players can choose from, but these are the easiest to get to grips with from the get-go.

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Square Enix and ToyLogic's game Foamstars will be switching to a free-to-play format on October 4, 2024. In addition to this major change, Foamstars' PlayStation Plus exclusivity will be removed as well. Foamstars plans on giving its earlier players a "Legacy Gift" in the form of 12 exclusive color variant Bubble Beastie Skins, one exclusive Slide Board design, and a "Legacy" title so that other players know they were there first. This change seems focused on driving engagement, since Foamstars has struggled post-launch.

When Will Foamstars Go Free to Play?

  • October 4, 2024, at 1:00AM (UTC)

This shift in the game's pricing model does not come with any clear explanation from Square Enix. However, it falls in line with the company's changing strategies towards gaming as a whole. Square Enix's prioritization of cost-cutting includes finding ways to continue monetizing its existing products. One step of this process was announcing the Kingdom Hearts franchise on Steam, relinquishing it from its former Epic Games exclusivity. This seems like the next step.

There's a chance that Foamstars will find many more players now that it has been made available to a larger population. In the company blog post announcing the game's pricing format change, Square Enix is careful to note that the game is "currently available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4." Although the company isn't leaving hints, it would make sense if Square Enix was planning to expand the number of platforms that Foamstars is on now that it's searching for a larger audience. Square Enix appears dedicated to finding a player base for Foamstars, although if it isn't able to pull gamers in, it may suffer the same fate as Synced and Babylon's Fall.

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Foamstars Tag Page Cover Art

Foamstars
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Shooter
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Systems
PlayStation-1
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Top Critic Avg: 60 /100 Critics Rec: 17%
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Released
February 6, 2024
ESRB
e
Developer(s)
Toylogic
Publisher(s)
Square Enix
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
Number of Players
8
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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LET THE BUBBLES FLY!
Get ready to join the foam-blasting frenzy in the new 4v4 foam-party shooter, as you blast through battles using foam to attack, build and defend!

FOAMSTARS combines the fun of partying with the thrill of combat, as you blast through battles with a mysterious foam that stays where it lands!

TIME TO FIGHT FOAM WITH FOAM!
Attack your opponents by dousing them with foam!
Hit them enough and they’ll get foamed up, leaving them completely defenseless.

BUILD UP THE BATTLEFIELD WITH MOUNTAINS OF FOAM!
Shape the landscape with foam as it builds and alters the terrain around you. Give your team the upper hand, and keep your opponents on their toes!

CHILL CONFIRMED!
Once you’ve got an opponent foamed up, slide into them at high speed with your slide board to secure the chill.
If someone on your team is foamed up, use a slide kick to rescue them

Platform(s)
PS5, PS4
Genre(s)
Shooter
How Long To Beat
N/A