The Final Fantasy 14 community is in mourning following news that Eikichi Iwai, the bassist for the game’s house band, The Primals, has died at the age of 57, and is taking to the MMORPG’s main hub cities to honor his legacy.
An “Important Announcement” post on the official FF14 website from developer Square Enix on November 11 broke the news, and stated the development team was “deeply saddened” to inform the community of Iwai’s passing.
“Having witnessed his truly unforgettable performance on stage at the recent Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Japan, the sudden news of his passing has come as a profound shock,” the statement reads. “The members of The Primals and the entire FF14 development and operations team are overcome with deep sorrow.
“As we reflect on all that Eikichi-san has left behind, our thoughts are with him, and we offer our heartfelt condolences.”
The Primals, composed of Iwai on bass, composer Masayoshi Soken, localization lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and band members Tetsuya Tachibana and GUNN, are behind some of FF14’s most memorable tracks. Iwai’s bass in particular stands out on songs like Shadowbringers’ To the Edge and Stormblood’s Amatsu Kaze. The band performed worldwide at various FF14 Fan Festivals, as well as at a UK rock festival, earlier this year.
Final Fantasy 14’s community has a reputation as being one of the best, and most welcoming, in gaming, so it’s no surprise it took the time to honor Iwai’s passing. As spotted on Reddit, the game’s playerbase has come together to pay their respects Iwai, with large gatherings of players holding firelight vigils in his memory across the game’s various servers and cities.
“It’s so good to see everyone come together, he deserves it for playing such a big role in the music we’ve fallen in love with. May he rest peacefully,” one community member wrote.
More of Iwai and The Primals’ music will be heard in Final Fantasy 14’s next upcoming expansion, Evercold, set to release on February 23, 2027.