Live-Service Game Foamstars Goes Free-to-Play

Square Enix has announced that Foamstars, its Splatoon-inspired competitive multiplayer shooter, will be dropping its premium price and transitioning to a free-to-play model this October.

In an official post, Square Enix confirmed that on October 4th, the game will switch from its existing regional pricing to a free-to-play format. Additionally, a PlayStation Plus subscription will no longer be required to play Foamstars on PS5 or PS4.

If you purchased Foamstars before this transition, you'll receive a "Legacy Gift" that includes twelve exclusive Bubble Beastie color variant skins, a unique Slide Board design, and the Legacy title. Square Enix also mentioned that details on how to claim the Legacy Gift will be shared via its social media channels in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out if you’re a long-time player.

The publisher did note that the pricing changes "may not immediately take effect" after the update, so players are advised to "confirm that the price has been updated" before downloading the game to avoid purchasing it just before it goes free.

Though Square Enix hasn’t officially stated why Foamstars is going free-to-play, it's likely an attempt to boost interest as player numbers may be declining. Whether this strategy will succeed remains uncertain, but come October, you'll be able to try out Foamstars without any cost. So if the premium price deterred you before, October will be the perfect time to dive in. It’s hard not to draw comparisons between Foamstars and another PlayStation shooter, Concord, which launched under similar circumstances. Both are hero shooters entering an already crowded free-to-play market with mixed reviews. Whether Concord will follow the same path as Foamstars is yet to be seen, but for now, Foamstars will be free to play on October 4th on PlayStation.