Following the footsteps of Nobuo Uematsu before him, Square Enix composer Masashi Hamauzu is heading out the door.
Longtime Square Enix composer Masashi Hamauzu is leaving the company after a 15 year career, Square Enix Music Online reports.
Square Enix seems to be having a hard time hanging onto composers for the Final Fantasy series. Famed series composer Nobuo Uematsu left the company in 2004 after having passed the torch to Hamauzu and Junya Nakano for FFX and to Hitoshi Sakimoto for FFXII. Sakimoto actually composed the FFXII score as a freelancer, having left Square Enix in 2004. Nakano left in 2009.
Square Enix Music Online goes on to say that Hamauzu isn’t the only composer leaving the company. “Further departures from the remaining four composer team[s]” are expected in the coming months.
We’ve contacted Square Enix to request confirmation and will update this story with any information they may have for us.
The official Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack goes on sale in Japan January 27. The game comes out in the US March 9.