Final Fantasy 14 players have been gathering en masse across servers today in the wake of the news that Eikichi Iwai—the bassist behind the game's band The Primals—has passed away at the age of 57.
A post went out on The Lodestone in the early hours of this morning (November 11) which read: "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 14 Fan Festival in Japan, the sudden news of his passing has come as a profound shock. The members of The Primals and the entire FF14 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 Primals is Final Fantasy 14's in-house band, fronted by composer Masayoshi Soken and localisation lead Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and accompanied by Tetsuya Tachibana, GUNN, and Iwai himself.
Iwai's bass in particular has elevated a ton of already-excellent tracks across the game's history: Stormblood's Amatsu Kaze, Shadowbringers' To the Edge, Endwalker's Scream and Close in the Distance, and Dawntrail's Ride the Rhythm just to name a few. The Primals has just come off the back of a strong year for live performances, too—from their usual appearance at all three Fan Festivals that took place this year, to even taking the stage at the UK's biggest rock and music festival as part of Download's lineup.
A quick trip through some of Final Fantasy 14's European servers have seen tons of players gathering in main hubs like Limsa Lominsa to pay their respects and share what it is about Iwai's work that meant so much to them. As I write this story, players and campfires line the perimeter of Omega's Limsa Lominsa plaza—a common practice for honouring the passing of key community figures and beyond, something which I've previously witnessed for the likes of Berserk's creator Kentaro Miura and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.
It's a small gesture, but one which is a pleasant reminder of why Final Fantasy 14 continues to maintain such an iron grip on myself and many others.
