PlayStation Exclusive Game's Player Count is Way Down

Summary

PlayStation exclusive game Foamstars suffers 94% player count drop.
Critics' mixed reviews and $30 paywall may hinder Foamstars' chances of revival.
Multiplayer-only games like Foamstars tend to have better success as free-to-play titles.

The PlayStation console exclusive game Foamstars, available for both PS4 and PS5, is seemingly suffering from a dramatically reduced player count. Foamstars is a 4v4 online party shooter game by Square Enix that initially drew comparisons to Nintendo's Splatoon franchise. It then gained even more attention when it was announced that Foamstars would be released as a free PS Plus game on the very day of its release.

Foamstars was part of the free PS Plus lineup in February, which seemed to push many PlayStation fans to give it a shot. Unfortunately, Foamstars earned mixed to negative reviews from critics, and it seems that the game has ultimately failed to keep fans engaged for any significant period of time.

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By Bobby Anhalt

According to a report by True Trophies, Foamstars' player count is down by a staggering 94%. It's likely that the game's player count was artificially inflated by its inclusion on PS Plus to begin with, but this is still a devastating blow to a game that depends on having an active community to sustain itself. Since Foamstars is a multiplayer-only game, no one playing it means that the game is basically dead in the water. However, there is still a chance for Foamstars to mount a comeback.

History shows that multiplayer-only games tend to have a better chance at thriving when they are released as free-to-play titles. The choice to block Foamstars behind a $30 paywall is likely playing a big role in keeping new players from discovering the game. If Square Enix were to switch to a free-to-play model, there's a better chance Foamstars could establish a dedicated audience, especially if coupled with substantial new content updates for the game.

That being said, gamers only have so much time to dedicate to games, and Foamstars' lackluster reception means fans are more likely to spend their time playing other, better-received titles. It's hard to imagine a scenario where PlayStation gamers would stop playing the mega-hit Helldivers 2 in order to play Foamstars, for instance. Not to mention, 2024 has been stacked with all kinds of big new games that will likely detract from Foamstars, with PS5 gamers able to check out exclusives like Rise of the Ronin and major third-party releases like Dragon's Dogma 2 and Tekken 8. It's true that there have been some incredible gaming comebacks over the years, but with the stiff competition and $30 paywall for a multiplayer-only experience, Foamstars' days may unfortunately be numbered.