The Primals Bassist Eikichi Iwai Dies Following Recent Tokyo Performance
Iwai performed with Final Fantasy XIV’s official rock band at the game’s Fan Festival on November 1.
Eikichi Iwai, bassist for Final Fantasy XIV’s official band The Primals, has died. The game’s Lodestone website announced his sudden death on Wednesday.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Lodestone website announced on Wednesday that bassist Eikichi Iwai had died suddenly. He played in The Primals, the Square Enix MMORPG’s official rock band.
Iwai had performed with the band at the game’s Fan Festival in Tokyo on November 1.
Final Fantasy XIV composer and sound director Masayoshi Soken leads The Primals. The band has performed official covers of the game’s music since 2014.
The Primals have released multiple albums for the series and performed at events, including the game’s official Fan Festivals. The members include:
- Michael-Christopher Koji Fox — vocalist and the game’s localizer, translator, and lyricist.
- Eikichi Iwai — bassist.
- Masayoshi Soken — guitarist, vocalist, and the game’s composer and sound director.
- Tetsuya Tachibana — drummer.
- GUNN — guitarist.
Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIV Online for personal computers in September 2010. It has since released five expansions:
- Heavensward — June 2015.
- Stormblood — June 2017.
- Shadowbringers — July 2019.
- Endwalker — December 2021.
- Dawntrail — July 2024.
The game’s Evercold expansion will enter early access on February 19 and officially launch on February 23.
Sources: Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone via ANN
