In a bit of news that will probably upset many fans of the original Final Fantasy VII who are also anticipating the game’s remake, we’ve learned storied composer Nobuo Uematsu is not returning to compose for the remake.

In an interview with French outlet Jeuxvideo, the composer was asked if he was working on the remake of Final Fantasy VII. His response?

“Not at all,” said Uematsu-san.

This is a shame, considering the soundtrack for Final Fantasy VII (and many of his other soundtracks) are some of the most emotional, memorable, and utterly brilliant pieces of music I’ve experienced in video games.

Now that we know Uematsu isn’t returning to compose – it probably means the remake will see most of its music rearranged by other composers, or possibly redone entirely (Editor’s note: it’s worth mentioning this has been done before with his music in previous Final Fantasy games).

How do you guys feel about Uematsu not returning to compose for the remake?