Mass Effect 5 Composer Shares 22 Minutes of Unused Music

Composer Austin Wintory has released approximately 22 minutes of early musical material created during discussions about the now-canceled Mass Effect 5, offering fans a glimpse of the soundtrack he envisioned for BioWare's next sci-fi RPG.

Wintory, known for his work on Journey, ABZÛ, and Sword of the Sea, published the collection on October 26, 2026, following Electronic Arts' decision to close BioWare and cancel the project.

In his original YouTube video, titled My Mass Effect 5 Early Musical Drafts, Wintory explains that he had spent several years discussing a potential role on the game with BioWare and EA.

During those conversations, he independently composed and recorded nearly 20 minutes of music in 2025. The complete video runs approximately 22 minutes and presents eight musical sections.

The recordings were produced in Los Angeles using analog synthesizers, vocals, and a large orchestra. Wintory wanted to build upon the musical identity established by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick in the original Mass Effect.

However, the composer had not received details about the new game's story when he created the material. The tracks were exploratory concepts rather than an approved soundtrack, and his involvement as the project's composer had not been finalized.

The collection includes pieces titled The Legacy of Shepard, Sailing the Relays, Scanning, and Hold the Line, alongside other compositions exploring different musical directions.

Wintory described Mass Effect as a dream project and expressed disappointment over BioWare's closure.

Although the recordings reveal one possible musical direction for Mass Effect 5, they do not confirm anything about the canceled game's narrative, characters, or intended gameplay.