Austin Wintory releases early Mass Effect 5 music after BioWare closure

Composer Austin Wintory released early musical drafts for the canceled Mass Effect 5 on October 26th, sharing the music on X. As the closure’s fallout settled, Wintory shared that he had been working on a potential soundtrack for the canceled game. The release came after BioWare confirmed its closure on October 21st, when EA shut down BioWare and canceled Mass Effect 5, ending early work on the next Mass Effect game.

BioWare said it was closing after more than three decades of shared adventures, and that early development on the next Mass Effect project was ending. The studio confirmed its closure in a statement on X, saying the statement focused on supporting the studio’s talented team through the transition. It also pointed to its history with Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Anthem. Mass Effect 5 had been announced in 2020.

Wintory said EA’s decision to cancel Mass Effect 5 and shut down BioWare was a deeply felt loss, and that it was hard to see dear friends lose their jobs. He wrote in the video description that the beloved franchise seemingly vanished forever. He thanked BioWare and EA’s music department for the chance to dream in their sandbox, calling it a privilege to do even that much. He said he hoped his drafts would do justice to the work of Jack Wall and Sam Hulick.

The release was a 20-minute collection of eight tracks Wintory posted on his YouTube channel. The full YouTube video, called My Mass Effect 5 Early Musical Drafts, runs roughly 22 minutes and includes sections such as The legacy of Shepard, Sailing the relays, and Hold the line.

Wintory composed the music in 2025 without knowing Mass Effect 5’s story, describing the work as narratively speculative. He said the music represents speculative exploration of where the franchise could go. He said excitement drove him to surprise EA and BioWare with a 20-minute elaborate production for the next Mass Effect, which he called pure musical exploration since the plot was unknown.

He described the soundtrack as a tribute to Jack Wall and Sam Hulick’s original Mass Effect score, with more analog synths and orchestra like The Matrix. He suggested treating the original score as a starting point with deeper analog synths and tightly interwoven orchestra, calling the work a love letter like Aliens: Fireteam Elite. He described this as his pitch during talks with BioWare and EA. Wintory said he created the music in Los Angeles using synths, vocals, and a large orchestra, with a note for each track explaining its production.

He noted the music may have been reworked, rearranged, or scrapped altogether by the time an official release arrived, but said he put his heart into it. Wintory said he has been a Mass Effect fan since the first game came out in 2007. IGN said his history as a fan comes through in the music.

Wintory called Mass Effect 5 his career’s biggest dream project and white whale, and said it was his favorite franchise. He discussed years of serious conversations with BioWare and EA in the description of his YouTube upload. Wintory said, “Mass Effect was my ultimate white whale, my all-time dream project.”

IGN says it remains uncertain whether Wintory would officially compose music for the project then known as Mass Effect: Universe. The outlet noted that the 22 minutes of audio published online suggest the early talks carried some weight despite the uncertainty.

Supporters launched a petition exceeding 230,000 signatures and bought a Times Square billboard to demand a Mass Effect revival. IGN reported that BioWare’s demise rocked the industry, with the community doing what it can to push for a revival. Leaked materials gave fans a peek at what could have been. Reportedly legitimate footage from a canceled Mass Effect cinematic trailer surfaced online a day after BioWare’s Oct. 21 shutdown announcement.

The video begins with a message elaborating on Wintory’s partnership with BioWare and EA and his decision to write a love letter to the franchise. The tracks were written as a love letter to the franchise and as an exploration of where it can go next.