Square Enix and rock band Chirinuruwowaka announced on November 11, 2026, that bassist Eikichi Iwai died at age 57. Iwai played bass guitar in The Primals, the official rock band for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, and had just performed before thousands of attendees at the Tokyo Fan Festival ten days earlier. News of his death prompted the game’s development team and community members on global servers to organize virtual vigils to celebrate his musical legacy [4].
Death of Bassist Eikichi Iwai
The Lodestone website for Final Fantasy XIV published a joint letter from the development and operations staff expressing deep sorrow over the loss [1]. The studio confirmed that Iwai passed away on November 11, 2026, shortly after headlining the Tokyo Fan Festival. He was 57. His bandmates and production colleagues were in shock as the news spread [4].
Chirinuruwowaka shared its own message confirming the news on its official website and social accounts. The rock outfit said that all remaining concert dates for Doudoumeguri 2026 -Public- were canceled. The tour was canceled. The group had scheduled multiple Japanese performances. Iwai served as the long-standing bassist for the group [6].
“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 development team wrote in its public letter. Game composer Alex Moukala called Iwai a hero to bass players worldwide and a kind friend whose warmth matched his stage presence. Moukala wrote that words could not describe the grief felt throughout the community. Fellow musicians said Iwai played with strong energy until his final days without slowing down his creative work. The loss leaves the future concert schedule of The Primals uncertain as Square Enix prepares for its next release cycle [4].
Tributes Across Eorzea Servers
Players logged into the MMORPG shortly after the announcement to arrange vigils in public spaces. The largest early gathering formed on the European Omega server (Chaos data center), where hundreds of players gathered around Limsa Lominsa’s Aetheryte Plaza to pay their respects. Characters sat along the edges of the port, lighting campfires that burned through the evening [4]. The vigils grew quickly.
Memorials appeared on several other regional data centers as word spread through community channels and social platforms. On the Sephirot server, players traveled to the flower fields of Ultima Thule, where a peaceful gathering lasted for more than seven hours as characters sat together in silence. The gathering lasted seven hours. Meanwhile, Japanese players on the Ifrit server crowded around the Altar of Ifrit at coordinates (X:35.2 Y:19.8). Instead of sitting quietly around campfires, the crowd cheered and waved red glow sticks in rhythm, turning the mythical fire god’s stone shrine into a recreation of a live rock concert crowd [5].
The gatherings continued a community tradition of honoring creative artists inside the game world. Players previously held vigils following the death of Berserk author Kentaro Miura in 2021 and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama in 2024. Dexerto reported that players on Zodiark lined their plazas with campfires to mourn Iwai [5]. The community shared their sorrow.
Concert History with The Primals
Sound director Masayoshi Soken formed The Primals in 2014 to turn orchestral battle themes into rock performances. The band formed in 2014. Soken played guitar and sang, recruiting guitarist GUNN, drummer Tetsuya Tachibana, and lyricist Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, who serves as the game’s English localization director and primary world translator. Iwai joined on bass guitar, supplying the driving rhythms that defined their sound [1].
The band released several official albums through Square Enix and performed as the main attraction at Fan Festival events in North America, Europe, and Japan. Their setlists featured rock arrangements of major boss battle themes like To the Edge, Footfalls, and Flow. Kotaku writer Ash Parrish praised Iwai’s playing directly, noting that his intricate bass lines elevated every song in the band’s catalog. In battle tracks like Rise and Close in the Distance, Iwai’s bass work provided the bridge between melodic vocal verses and heavy rock climaxes, creating the sonic backbone that made each live appearance unforgettable [3]. Fans loved his basslines.
Live performances by The Primals routinely closed official conventions, drawing thousands of fans who sang along in full chorus to the game’s battle themes. At the recent Tokyo Fan Festival on November 1, 2026, the five musicians performed an energetic multi-song set that colleagues and spectators praised as one of their finest live appearances. DualShockers reported that Iwai brought a distinct grit to the stage, matching Soken’s wild stage antics while holding the complex bass rhythms that carried the entire performance. The concert stood out as a memorable moment of the weekend, giving players what would be their final chance to see the bassist perform live before his sudden passing ten days later [3].
Work Beyond Final Fantasy XIV
Outside the gaming world, Iwai built an active career throughout the Japanese independent rock scene for more than two decades. He was a founding member of Chirinuruwowaka, performing on bass across the group’s live tours and studio releases. The band toured club venues and released multiple records. He recorded multiple studio albums. Iwai played bass from the start [6].
Iwai’s time with The Primals coincided with the steady expansion of Final Fantasy XIV following its original 2010 PC release and subsequent rebuilding. Square Enix released five major expansion packs during his tenure: Heavensward in June 2015, Stormblood in June 2017, Shadowbringers in July 2019, Endwalker in December 2021, and Dawntrail in July 2024. Each expansion introduced new raid tiers and battle encounters that Iwai helped bring to life on concert stages. The game’s next major expansion, Evercold, will launch on February 19 for early access, before launching officially across all supported platforms on February 23 [1]. Players loved the soundtrack.
Music has always been central to the MMORPG, turning story climaxes and boss battles into shared emotional moments. Community forums filled with players sharing favorite bass riffs from songs like Dawntrail and To the Edge. One fan on Reddit wrote: “Rest easy, Eikichi, thank you for all those basslines” [2]. The music moved players.
Legacy of Bassist Eikichi Iwai
The loss of Iwai leaves the future path of the band uncertain as Square Enix looks toward future conventions. The band has not issued any statements about future touring plans or replacement musicians. No plans were announced. The development team said they would cherish everything Iwai created, asking players to join them in honoring his memory [1].
On stage, bassist Eikichi Iwai approached live concerts with good humor and steady musicianship, often smiling through intricate bass solos during extended sets. Fans who attended the recent Tokyo Fan Festival recalled his energetic interactions with the crowd as he traded riffs with Soken and Koji Fox. His heavy bass lines gave the game’s battle music an authentic rock edge that resonated with players of all generations. Even players who had never attended a live concert knew his playing through official soundtrack albums and in-game orchestrion rolls that documented his twelve years with the band [2]. His tone was distinct.
As virtual campfires burned on game servers from Europe to Japan, the Final Fantasy XIV player community transformed their grief into an enduring celebration of collaborative musicianship and stage artistry. The vigils showed how game music builds bonds between players and performers. The concerts drew thousands. Eikichi Iwai’s bass work will accompany players through trials and raid encounters for years to come [4].
- ONLINE NEWS Anime News Network. (2026, November 11). Final Fantasy XIV game band The Primals’ bassist Eikichi Iwai dies. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Parrish, A. (2026, November 11). Fans gather in Final Fantasy XIV in memorial for Eikichi Iwai, bassist for The Primals. Kotaku. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Manning, M. (2026, November 11). Eikichi Iwai, bassist of Final Fantasy XIV band THE PRIMALS, has passed away. DualShockers. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Glaze, V. (2026, November 11). ‘Thank you for everything’ — Final Fantasy XIV players mourn The Primals bassist Eikichi Iwai with in-game funerals and gatherings. IGN. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Maldonado, C. (2026, November 11). Final Fantasy 14 players hold in-game funerals across servers after official band bassist dies. Dexerto. [Article Link]
- ONLINE NEWS Gekirock Editorial Department. (2026, November 11). Eikichi Iwai, bassist of THE PRIMALS and Chirinuruwowaka, passes away suddenly. Gekirock. [Article Link]
