"The party never ends" in Splatoon-like shooter Foamstars, except it does because Square Enix is pulling the plug on new seasons – but not before a Nier: Automata crossover

2B and 9S costumes in a crossover with Foamstars.
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Anyone remember Foamstars, Square Enix's attempt to dive into Splatoon's territory? Less than a year since its release, the bubbly shooter is ironically ending seasonal support with a season called "PARTY GOES ON" and an admittedly exciting crossover with fellow Squeenix sibling Nier Automata.

Once the festive season drops on December 13 and ends on January 17, the game won't be getting any more seasonal updates, meaning that, err, the party doesn't quite go on, it just fizzles out. Foamstars will thankfully remain playable online for the foreseeable future, and the team is even holding a series of "in-game events named after each character." Previous season passes are also coming back for anyone who missed out on them the first time, and you can even switch between them whenever you like.

FOAMSTARS | “PARTY GOES ON” Season Trailer - YouTube FOAMSTARS | “PARTY GOES ON” Season Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

Party Goes On is still finishing things off with a bang, too. "In this concluding update, expansions will be introduced to enhance gameplay, such as the ability to customise shots of each character, and new enhancement elements, such as Prism Gems, all aimed at ensuring players can continue to enjoy the game for the foreseeable future," Square Enix writes in its blog. That's without even mentioning the 2B and 9S costumes coming for Soa and Gito respectively on the same day as the last season. You won't even need to pay for the sick-looking skins - they'll be fully unlockable via in-game challenges.

"Thank you so much for playing Foamstars," producer Kosuke Okatani writes in his own letter to the community. "I don't want this to sound like a final message since you will be able to continue playing the game. However I wanted to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you all once again... Throughout both the development and operational phases, we have faced many challenges. However, the support of all of you who play the game, along with the incredible fan art, has been a constant source of encouragement for the team. It's because of this support that we've been able to overcome these difficulties, always with the goal of responding to your feedback."

Foamstars was a surprisingly fun multiplayer tug-of-war game that bought hero shooting abilities and some novel twists to the Splatoon formula, so I'm sad to see it ending seasonal support before it managed to migrate over to PC at the very least. For now, it's available for free on PS5 and PS4.

In the meantime, check out the very best shooter games available right now. 

Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.

Read more
Screenshot from Spectre Divide, showing a character in a purple jumpsuit and full face mask aiming their gun.
Despite more than $60 million in investments, Shroud-backed FPS Spectre Divide and its dev are shutting down after the first season failed "to cover day-to-day costs"
Atelier Resleriana
One of the oldest ongoing JRPG series adds its divisive gacha spinoff to the live service graveyard after barely a year
Dauntless is dead: After a blockchain company buyout, a disastrous update, and brutal layoffs, the Monster Hunter-like action RPG is shutting down this May
Resident Evil ReVerse
The Resident Evil deathmatch game that flopped is going offline as Capcom says it's "served its original, celebratory purpose admirably"
Friday the 13th: The Game
2025 kicks off with another live service death as Friday the 13th: The Game fans sadly twerk on its grave
A screenshot showing Shaggy from Scooby Doo and Superman fighting in MultiVersus.
WB Games' Smash Bros-like MultiVersus is going offline for good a full year after it came back from the dead
Latest in Third Person Shooter
Four Helldivers lined up on base ship
A year after Malevelon Creek became Helldivers 2's fiercest battleground, it looks like the Automatons are coming back for more
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing someone using a big gun
Helldivers 2 boss says "death and rebirth" is a natural part of the games industry, but it's "unnecessarily brutal" right now "because we don't diversify enough"
The Invisible Woman in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs know exactly how popular Invisible Woman is, and say that "body shape or silhouette" add to a character's popularity in a way far more innocent than the internet deserves
Helldivers 2 Warbond
Helldivers 2 players "became obsessed" with Malevolon Creek, but it was Gabe Newell who really kicked off one of Super Earth's bloodiest battles
Heroes and villains face off in Marvel Rivals key art
Marvel Rivals exec isn't afraid of roster bloat after NetEase promised new heroes every 6 weeks: "There's no limit for the sky. We just throw everything at it"
Marvel Rivals: Ignite #1
Marvel Rivals goes manga in a new comic from Peach Momoko and three other Japanese artists that reveals several new in-game costumes
Latest in News
Adolescence
After it landed 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, Hideo Kojima has also given his verdict on everyone's new Netflix obsession Adolescence
Palworld screenshot showing a green dinosaur-like creature with a red mushroom cap atop its head sitting in a wooden hot tub
Palworld isn't coming to the Switch as the open-world survival hit is a "beefy game," but Pocketpair says Switch 2 is "100% worth considering"
Bayonetta 3 screenshot showing bayonetta looking at a gun
As Assassin's Creed Shadows passes 2 million players, Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya reveals "I felt bad that it was being criticized so much"
Bloodborne
It's Bloodborne's 10th anniversary, and FromSoftware is celebrating with an Elden Ring patch that "does not contain any game related changes"
Gleemax legendary artifact Magic card
Fans react to Sigil shutdown with a callback to Gleemax: the Myspace for gamers that never came to be
Four Helldivers lined up on base ship
A year after Malevelon Creek became Helldivers 2's fiercest battleground, it looks like the Automatons are coming back for more