Embattled arena shooter Foamstars goes free-to-play after haemorrhaging players following February release

Square Enix's Foamstars initially launched to a very strong reception, reportedly beating out smash-hit Helldivers 2 on launch day — likely owing to its launch as part of the PS Plus monthly games program. However, that player count soon dropped steeply, with some gamers seemingly looking to greener pastures and others put off by the use of AI-generated images in in-game art. Now, it looks like Foamstars might be looking to regain some of its lost player count by going free-to-play. 

In the official announcement from Square Enix, the company reveals that Foamstars will be a free download via the PlayStation Store starting October 4, 2024, at 1:00 AM UTC. It also clarifies that a PlayStation Plus account will no longer be necessary to play the game as of that October 4 date. As compensation for their purchase, players who paid the game's $29.99 purchase price will get a free in-game gift bundle consisting of the following: 

• 12 exclusive colour-variant Bubble Beastie skins
• 1 exclusive Slide Board design
• 1 title: “Legacy”

This pricing change puts Foamstars on the same playing field as games like Fortnite and PUBG, giving it a solid chance at recuperating some of its lost players. According to reviews of the game, however, Foamstars may yet face more uphill battles. While the likes of IGN and Kotaku praise Foamstars for its fast-paced, fun combat and charming visuals, the rest of the game lacked substance, and there were serious issues with feedback and variety within the game. 

If you want to check out games like Foamstars, you'll need a PS5, which can be had from $499 on Amazon. Alternatively, check out the Lenovo Legion Go for $679.99 from Lenovo US.