Composer shares 20 minutes of music created for Mass Effect 5 following tragic closure of BioWare

Following the closure of BioWare, acclaimed video game composer Austin Wintory has shared approximately 20 minutes of original music he created while in talks to score Mass Effect 5. Wintory, known for his work on acclaimed titles including Journey, Hades 2, Sword of the Sea, and The Banner Saga, released the eight-track composition on his YouTube channel as a conceptual pitch exploring his potential approach to the RPG’s soundtrack.

Created in 2025 without knowledge of Mass Effect 5’s narrative direction, the music was presented to BioWare and EA as a pitch during ongoing conversations about the composer potentially joining the development team. The composition served as a direct homage to the original Mass Effect soundtrack, featuring work by composers Jack Wall and Sam Hulick, incorporating analog synthesizers and complex orchestral integration. Wintory has described Mass Effect as his “ultimate white whale,” expressing the emotional difficulty of witnessing both the studio closure and the loss of a long-sought professional opportunity.

The release follows BioWare’s recent and dramatic closure, which resulted in significant job losses and the cancellation of Mass Effect’s next chapter. Wintory’s decision to share the pitch music reflects both his frustration with the cancellation and his desire to preserve a glimpse of what might have been, acknowledging the broader impact on industry colleagues who lost their positions.

Sources

• Composer shares 20 minutes of music created for Mass Effect 5 following tragic closure of BioWare
• Mass Effect Cancellation Stings Even More When You Realise Austin Wintory Was Pitching the Soundtrack
• “Mass Effect was my ultimate white whale”: Journey composer shares 20 minutes of music created during talks to work on BioWare’s recently cancelled RPG