Final Fantasy XIV Bassist Eikichi Iwai Dies. The beloved bassist of THE PRIMALS rock band has passed away at 57. Square Enix announced his passing this morning, November 11th, on the Lodestone. THE PRIMALS is an in-house rock band that creates music for the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.
Fans have been gathering in major cities to pay their respects to Iwai. They’ve formed a circle around the Aetheryte Plaza in Limsa Lominsa and other major areas where his music is played in the game. His passing is shocking considering that he recently performed with The Primals at the Fan Fest in Tokyo.
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Final Fantasy XIV Bassist Eikichi Iwai Dies
An important announcement regarding The Primals:
Thank you very much for your continued support of THE PRIMALS.
As announced earlier today, we are deeply saddened to share the news of the sudden passing of bassist Eikichi Iwai.
Having witnessed his truly unforgettable performance on stage at the recent FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival in Japan, the sudden news of his passing has come as a profound shock. The members of THE PRIMALS and the entire FFXIV Development and Operations teams 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 Members and Staff of THE PRIMALS
The FINAL FANTASY XIV Development and Operations Teams
Iwai was also a member of the band CHIRINURUWOWA. As a member of CHIRINURUWOWA, Iwai has done collaborations with D[di:] an YUI and for video games DaemonBride (Team Arcana) as well as the Atelier series (GUST).
He was born in Fukuoka, Japan, and began his career as a bassist and arranger. Iwai joined THE PRIMALS in 2014 as the band’s bassist and performed worldwide at the FFXIV Fan Festivals.
THE PRIMALS consist of FFXIV composer Masayoshi Soken, Gunn on guitar, Tetsuya Tachibana on drums, and Michael-Christopher Koji Fox on vocals.
Iwai helped create amazing tracks for FFXIV, including ‘Amatsu Kaze’ from Stormblood and ‘Ride the Rhythm’ from Dawntrail.
Musician and vocalist Jason Charles Miller posted a heartfelt message for Iwai on his X account:
Devastated to learn of the death of @iwaieikichi. My heart goes out to his family, his friends and musical collaborators. Myself being an honorary member of The Primals, I have lost a brother in music. #ffxiv #theprimals #eikichiiwai https://t.co/jKIDq0gQkW
— Jason Charles Miller (@jasoncmiller) November 11, 2026
Final Fantasy XIV Bassist Eikichi Iwai Dies
Iwai will be missed by the community. To take part in the in-game vigils, head to Limsa Lominsa or other major city hubs. Players are also gathering in areas where THE PRIMALS’ music is playing, like Elpis and Ultima Thule.
What are your favorite FFXIV songs that Iwai has contributed to? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts. Thank you for reading, and don’t forget to share this post on social media.
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May you ever walk in the light of the crystal,
Spyells
