Square Enix’s Foamstars Set to Join PS Plus Monthly Free Titles on February 6, Featuring AI Art Elements

Foamstars to Debut with Three PvP Modes – Smash the Star, Happy Bath Survival, and the Newly Revealed Rubber Duck Party.

Foamstars, Square Enix’s Splatoon-like 4v4 online party shooter announced last year, is coming next month. The PlayStation exclusive will release February 6 as a day-one launch title on PS Plus, Sony and Square Enix confirmed Tuesday. The game will be available to download for free on PS5 and PS4 as part of the PlayStation Plus Monthly Games lineup for next month, starting February 6 through March 4. Foamstars was announced at a PlayStation Showcase in May last year, showing off soapy shooting and colourful characters, both heavily inspired by Nintendo’s Splatoon games. A PS Plus release will likely attract more players to the multiplayer title in its early days.

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to redeem, download and play Foamstars at no extra cost. As with all free PS Plus monthly games, the Square Enix shooter, once redeemed, can be accessed beyond February as long as players hold on to their PS Plus membership, the publisher confirmed in its blog announcing the release date. After its PS Plus run, Foamstars will be available to buy on the PlayStation Store for $29.99 (roughly Rs. 2,494), starting March 5. Bear in mind, the multiplayer-only title would still require a PS Plus subscription for online play.

Ahead of Foamstars’ release, Square Enix also confirmed that the party shooter will include some AI-generated art. Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani told VGC recently that the developers had used Midjourney, a popular generative AI-based image generation tool, to create some art for in-game icons. “AI was used in the creation of the in-game album covers for the music featured in the FOAMSTARS’ soundtrack. As developers, we’re always looking at new technologies to see how they can assist with game development,” Square Enix later clarified to the publication.

Okatani clarified that the primary portion of the game, encompassing core gameplay elements, was meticulously crafted by the developers, with AI-generated content contributing to only ‘0.01 percent or even less.’ This statement aligns with Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu’s New Year’s letter, emphasizing the potential of AI to reshape video games and the company’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies in both content development and publishing functions.

Foamstars will launch with three PvP modes — Smash the Star, Happy Bath Survival (both previously released in the Foamstar Open Beta Party), and the newly announced Rubber Duck Party. Smash the Star will require teams to foam up and take down the opposing team and get to their Star Player. Once seven players from a team have been defeated, the highest performer on that team will receive gameplay buffs and will be named the Star Player. Taking down the other team’s Star Player will result in an instant win.

Happy Bath Survival mode splits up the two teams, keeping half inside the play arena and half outside it. Those inside engage in head-on battles, while outside team members provide defensive support. The new Rubber Duck Party mode will require players to take possession of a rubber duck at the centre of the stage. Climbing aboard the duck will make it advance towards the opponent’s goal. The team that crosses the line first wins. Each of these 4v4 modes include three maps, which will be randomized during matchmaking.

Furthermore, Foamstars is set to feature a single-player PvE mode named Missions, offering both solo and four-player co-op experiences. In Missions, players can delve deeper into Foamstars’ characters, experiment with their abilities, and face waves of enemies alongside friends.

Square Enix has confirmed that Foamstars will receive free themed seasonal updates for a year, incorporating cosmetics, playable characters, maps, and additional game modes. Each new season will also offer an optional Premium Season Pass, available for $5.99 (approximately Rs. 498).

Foamstars is slated to debut as a PS Plus launch title on February 6, accessible on both PS4 and PS5 platforms.