Shocking Exit: Highly Regarded Developer Parts Ways with FromSoftware

Highlights

After 12 years at FromSoftware, lead composer Yuka Kitamura has announced her departure from the company and will now work as a freelance composer.

Kitamura is credited with creating some of the most acclaimed RPG soundtracks for FromSoftware, showcasing her talent in games like Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Even though she has departed from FromSoftware, Kitamura remains open to composing original soundtracks for their upcoming titles, driven by her passion for expressing herself through game music.

FromSoftware's renowned Lead Composer, Yuka Kitamura, has departed from the Japanese developer after an extensive tenure with the company. Kitamura dedicated 12 years of her career to FromSoftware, with her musical prowess first showcased in the 2013 game Armored Core: Verdict Day.

Having collaborated with Kota Hoshino on the soundtrack for the latest Armored Core installment, Kitamura later joined forces with Dark Souls composer Motoi Sakuraba for Dark Souls 2. She then went on to take the helm as the lead composer for Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Motoi Sakuraba later returned to join Tsukasa Saitoh, Shoi Miyazawa, Tai Tomisawa, and Yoshimi Kudo in creating the Elden Ring OST.

Kitamura herself announced on Twitter that her lengthy spell at FromSoftware has come to an end. The 33-year-old composer revealed that she will now be working as a freelance composer. This news may be a significant loss for the studio, as Kitamura is known for crafting some of the best RPG soundtracks in recent memory. While she wasn't the lead composer for FromSoftware's most recent game, Elden Ring, Kitamura still contributed notable boss music, such as Malenia and Blade of Miquella. Her departure doesn't necessarily mean she won't continue composing for FromSoftware in the future, as she expressed her desire to remain involved in the gaming industry and create game music on Twitter.

Kitamura's future contributions to FromSoftware games remain unknown. As a member of FreQuency, the studio's internal band responsible for creating music for the Armored Core series, Kitamura played the violin. Other notable members of the group include Kota Hoshino, Tsukasa Saitoh, and Kohichi Suenaga, who are also veterans of FromSoftware.

While the Japanese company has not yet confirmed it, it is reasonable to assume that FreQuency has once again been tasked with composing the score for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. The complete track list for the game will be disclosed by August 25, when the latest installment in the long-standing vehicular combat series is set to release. Given the timing of Kitamura's departure from the company, it seems likely that she was involved in the creation of the game's original soundtrack until its completion. In May, FromSoftware confirmed that the Collector's Edition of Armored Core 6 will include a digital soundtrack.