Eikichi Iwai, the bassist of THE PRIMALS, the official rock band of Square Enix's online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV, has died suddenly.
The news came first from Chirinuruwowaka, another band Iwai played bass in, before THE PRIMALS and the Final Fantasy XIV team confirmed it on X (formerly Twitter). Neither statement gave a cause of death. The joint message was signed by the members and staff of THE PRIMALS and the Final Fantasy XIV development and operations teams.
"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 statement read. "The members of THE PRIMALS and the entire FFXIV Development and Operations teams are overcome with deep sorrow."
Chirinuruwowaka cancels its tour
In its own announcement, posted in Japanese, Chirinuruwowaka's staff said the members were finding the news hard to accept. The band has cancelled every show of its Doudou Meguri 2026 -Public- tour and apologised to fans who had planned to attend. It said details on ticket refunds will follow.
Iwai's time with THE PRIMALS
According to the band's official profile, Final Fantasy XIV Sound Director Masayoshi Soken has led THE PRIMALS since 2014. Its line-up is Soken on guitar and vocals, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox on vocals, GUNN on guitar, Tetsuya Tachibana on drums and Iwai on bass.
The group released its major debut album, THE PRIMALS, in May 2018 and recorded the main theme for the Dawntrail expansion. It sold out a two-day show at Makuhari Messe Event Hall in June 2022 and played two days at Yokohama Arena in September 2024 to mark its tenth anniversary. THE PRIMALS has also played its own shows in Seoul and appeared at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festivals in North America, Europe, South Korea and China.
The Japan show mentioned in the statement was Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo, where Square Enix showed off the next expansion, Evercold.
