Square Enix’s PlayStation exclusive Foamstars is becoming free to play

Square Enix has announced that its 4v4 party shooter Foamstars will become free to play in October, after falling short of expectations earlier this year.

The details:

• According to Square Enix's support website, the game, which is currently priced at $30, will be free for all PlayStation users starting October 4. With the transition to a free-to-play model, the PlayStation Plus requirement for online play will be removed, allowing standard PSN accounts to access the game.

• Those who purchased the game between its February release and its transition to free-to-play will receive a "Legacy Gift." The gift will consist of 12 unique color-variant Bubble Beastie skins, a Slide Board design, and the "Legacy" title.

• Foamstars, along with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Final Fantasy XVI, were blamed for Square Enix's poor financial results earlier this year, as all three titles failed to meet commercial expectations. Despite this, company president Takashi Kiryu stated that this did not mean that the game's sales were not "bad," though its player count remains low, with long queue times in many of its modes.

More gaming news:

• Firewalk Studios' hero shooter Concord has flopped on Steam with less than 700 all-time concurrent players, and it appears that sales are also weak on PS5.

• Christoph Hartmann, head of Amazon Games, has claimed that AI will not result in net job losses in the gaming industry and instead will "streamline processes" in development.