Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has stated that he is taking an extended leave of absence from his work due to health issues. Uematsu did not go on record to say the name of his disease but that he would be taking personal time off for the rest of the year.

Best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, Nobuo Uematsu did not disclose the name of his illness on his blog. He says that due to his hectic work schedule that it has become “mentally and physically difficult to go on at my current pace.” Uematsu seems optimistic in his blog, however, and hopes that his fans do not worry as he plans to make a full recovery and return to his work once he does. Even though he plans to rest for the rest of the year, he also said that he could not commit to an actual time frame of when he would actually be returning to work.

Nobuo Uematsu joined Square back in 1985 and was the first composer for the Final Fantasy series. Even though the torch was later passed on to other artists over the years, Nobuo Uematsu still works for Square on a freelance basis and has composed music for many other popular video game titles over the years, such as Chrono Trigger and the Mistwalker-developed Blue Dragon. Recently, it was announced that Uematsu would be working on the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 remake remake as well which he originally composed the soundtrack to.

If you have ever picked up a Final Fantasy video game, you have likely heard the stunning works of composer Nobuo Uematsu. His name has become synonymous with the Final Fantasy series and has created tunes that have truly brought the series to life. Uematsu left Square back in 2004 to form his own production company called Smile Please, though his compositions both old and new still find their way into Square titles. He has also had a strong presence in Final Fantasy Distant Worlds concerts and other video game symphonies over the years.

Hopefully, Nobuo Uematsu makes a full recovery over his absence and while his time away from work is uncertain, he is wished only the best.

Source: Nobuo Uematsu’s blog (via IGN)