Grammy Award-winning composer Austin Wintory has shared early musical drafts he created for the now-canceled Mass Effect 5. Wintory, known for his work on games like Journey, Sword of the Sea, and The Banner Saga trilogy, revealed in a social media post that Mass Effect was a dream project for him. He had been in discussions with BioWare and EA for several years about scoring the title.
Wintory explained that as part of these discussions, he composed approximately 20 minutes of music in 2025 to explore the franchise's potential direction. He has now publicly released this music, consisting of eight tracks, via his YouTube channel. In a video accompanying the release, Wintory elaborated on his creative process, noting that he was unaware of Mass Effect 5's specific story details at the time, describing the music as "narratively speculative." He aimed for a sound that paid homage to the original Mass Effect soundtrack by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick, while incorporating more analog synths and complex orchestral arrangements, drawing a parallel to the hybrid nature of The Matrix's score.
Each track in the released compilation is accompanied by Wintory's explanations of his inspiration. The composer expressed his disappointment regarding the recent closure of BioWare and the cancellation of Mass Effect 5, calling it a "deeply felt loss." He extended his gratitude to BioWare and EA's music department for the opportunity to contribute creatively to the franchise, even in this speculative capacity.
Wintory's release follows another piece of leaked content related to the canceled game, a cinematic trailer featuring Liara that appeared online shortly after EA's announcement of BioWare's closure and the project's cancellation.