祖堅正慶 (Masayoshi Soken)

Masayoshi Soken is a Japanese video game composer and sound director, born January 10, 1975. He has worked at Square Enix since 2001 and is best known as the lead composer and sound director for Final Fantasy XIV, shaping the score across its base game and every subsequent expansion. His work spans a wide stylistic range within the game, from orchestral fantasy themes to heavier rock and electronic arrangements, and he has occasionally performed vocals himself under alternate names.

Soken has also released music under pseudonyms including Masayoshi Kikuchi, Sorbonne Soken, and Luis Noma, allowing him to experiment with different genres and moods outside the expectations tied to his main body of work. Tracks like «Flow», «Shadowbringers», and «Endwalker — Footfalls» showcase his ability to write sweeping, emotionally driven pieces that anchor major narrative moments in the game, while songs such as «Bee My Honey» and «Give It All» reveal a more playful, upbeat side.

Within video game music, Soken is regarded as one of the more distinctive voices for blending rock energy with orchestral grandeur, often composing tracks that double as in-universe band performances. His long tenure on Final Fantasy XIV has made him one of the most prolific and recognizable composers in modern MMO gaming, with a discography spanning hundreds of tracks across multiple expansions.