Masashi Hamauzu Resigns From Square Enix

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While the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack ^[2] is due out in just one week in Japan, it’s been reported by numerous sources that long-time Square Enix composer Masashi Hamauzu has left the building, following in the footsteps of Junya Nakano who just left a short time ago. I can’t say I’m overly surprised, as Hamauzu is extremely talented and will likely be in high demand after his work on Final Fantasy XIII, but I am taken aback by the timing. I figured he’d at least wait until the game was released outside of Japan. He’s going out with a bang, however, having scored the biggest title of his life.

So what does this mean for him and for Square Enix? First it means that we’ll hopefully be hearing a lot more of Masashi Hamauzu in the future. Second, with this announcement, that leaves composers Naoshi Mizuta ^[3], Kumi Tanioka ^[4], Tsuyoshi Sekito ^[5], and Takeharu Ishimoto ^[6] to handle all of Square Enix’s music. Perhaps we’ll see more outsourcing in the future, although Square Enix has a history of bringing back its former composers in a freelance capacity.

Are you surprised by this news? Are you looking forward to the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack and whatever Masashi Hamauzu will be working on next?

[SEMO ^[7] via Siliconera ^[8]]