Austin Wintory Shares Music Pitch for Mass Effect 5 Following BioWare Closure
- Composer Austin Wintory pitched 20 minutes of music for Mass Effect 5 after BioWare’s closure.
- The music, uploaded to Wintory’s YouTube channel, pays homage to original composers Jack Wall and Sam Hulick.
- EA’s BioWare closure resulted in the termination of 400 employees across various studios.
Austin Wintory, known for his compositions in Journey and Sword of the Sea, released a twenty-minute music collection he pitched to BioWare and EA as part of his desire to join the Mass Effect 5 development team. This announcement follows the recent closure of BioWare, which has sparked concerns across the gaming community.
The music can be found on Wintory’s personal YouTube channel and was created without any prior knowledge of the narrative direction of the upcoming game. However, it was intended as a surprise for BioWare and EA in 2025, reflecting years of dialogue. In the video description, Wintory describes the work as a “direct homage” to Mass Effect 1 composers Jack Wall and Sam Hulick, featuring a blend of analog synths and a more intricate orchestral arrangement that he likens to the musical styles found in The Matrix films.
The collection includes several tracks, notably “The Legacy of Shepard,” which contains “deliberate winks” to the original Mass Effect theme. Another track titled “Sailing the Relays” heavily features the discussed combination of synth and orchestral music. In total, the collection comprises eight tracks, with the final one being a remix of “The Legacy of Shepard.”
In the video’s description, Wintory expresses his sadness regarding BioWare’s closure, stating, “Receiving the news alongside everyone else that EA had decided to not only cancel the project but shut down BioWare entirely was a deeply felt loss. It’s been hard to see dear friends lose their jobs, and this beloved franchise seemingly vanish forever.” He also extended his gratitude to the music departments at BioWare and EA for allowing him the opportunity to conceptualize music for the franchise.
The closure of BioWare has led to significant job losses, including the termination of 50 employees and an additional 350 across other EA-owned studios. The decision has prompted widespread criticism within the industry. In a politically charged response, a leader from a Canadian political party has expressed a desire to facilitate the buyback of BioWare by its former employees with federal support. This incident follows EA’s recent $55 billion acquisition involving key figures such as Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
