“Foamstars: The Grand Celebration Comes to a Thrilling Conclusion!”
Square Enix is concluding seasonal support for the multiplayer battle title Foamstars after less than a year.
The Japanese developer clarified that the upcoming seasonal update, somewhat ironically dubbed the ‘The Celebration Continues!,’ will actually serve as the final chapter for this game.
The Celebration Continues! is set to take place from December 13, 2024, to January 17, 2025. Following that timeframe, no further seasonal updates will be initiated.
“In this final update, enhancements will be introduced to upgrade gameplay, including the option to personalize each character’s shots, along with new upgrade materials known as Prism Gems, all designed to ensure players can continue to enjoy the game for the foreseeable future,” stated Square Enix in a message to gamers.
“All online services will remain operational after the “The Celebration Continues!” season concludes. Additionally, we intend to host the Foamstars Cup, a series of in-game events themed around each character.”
The company emphasized that previous season passes will be re-introduced to “ensure that new gamers can fully experience Foamstars.” Gamers will have the ability to access prior season passes to claim items they may have missed out on. Even though Foamstars will still be playable going forward, it’s difficult to interpret this as anything other than the title being effectively shelved by Square Enix.
“No new content” for Foamstars
In a separate blog post, Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani reiterated there would be “no new content” forthcoming and expressed gratitude to players for their engagement.
“I don’t want this to feel like a farewell message since you will still be able to enjoy the game. Nevertheless, I wanted to take this moment to thank everyone once more,” he wrote. “Thanks to all of you, we’ve successfully executed every update we had envisioned. We’ve reached this point because of your generous support. On behalf of the entire team, I’d like to express our sincere appreciation.”
Okatani conveyed hope that players will continue to access Foamstars for “years to come,” yet it’s clear that Square Enix has faced challenges in realizing its vision for the game. Okatani acknowledged that the development team faced “many hurdles” throughout production, while the decision to shift Foamstars to a free-to-play model just eight months post-launch indicates the title has struggled to build a player base.
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Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is a prize-winning journalist and writer with over ten years of experience in the gaming industry. His work has appeared in major print and online publications such as Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered most major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has participated in the judging panel for The Develop Awards on multiple occasions and has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.