'Fallouts Like That Happen, It's Just Part of the Deal' — Mass Effect 1 and 2 Composer Jack Wall Discusses Why He Failed to Return for Mass Effect 3

Composer Jack Wall explains his absence from Mass Effect 3's soundtrack. Wall, the acclaimed composer behind the memorable scores for the first two Mass Effect games, reveals the reasons for his non-participation in the third installment.

Wall collaborated with BioWare on the iconic 80s-inspired soundtracks for Mass Effect (2007) and Mass Effect 2 (2010). The latter game, often lauded as a masterpiece in action RPGs, features Wall's critically acclaimed score, including the celebrated "Suicide Mission" track.

His absence from the 2012 Mass Effect 3 soundtrack surprised fans. A recent interview with The Guardian sheds light on the situation, revealing a professional disagreement with then-Mass Effect lead Casey Hudson.

Wall stated, "Casey wasn't particularly pleased with me at the project's conclusion. However, I'm incredibly proud of that score. It received a BAFTA nomination and performed exceptionally well, even if it didn't quite meet Casey's expectations."

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New duel1ST2ND3RDSee your ResultsFinish playing for your personal results or see the community’s!Continue playingSee resultsWhile The Guardian alluded to "creative differences," Wall remained concise. He commented, "Such disagreements occur; it's an inherent part of the industry. It's one of the few instances in my career, and it was a challenging period, but that's how it goes."

Wall elaborated on the difficulties in completing Mass Effect 2 and integrating the "Suicide Mission" sequence, offering potential context to his relationship with Hudson.

"It was the most demanding undertaking of my career," Wall shared. "And there was no one available to guide me, as everyone was frantically working to finish the game. I submitted my work, and they had to extensively refine it to ensure functionality, but they succeeded... and the result remains one of the best game-ending sequences I've ever experienced. The effort was entirely worthwhile."

Following Mass Effect 2, Wall composed for Call of Duty titles, most recently Black Ops 6. BioWare is currently developing the next Mass Effect game, following Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but the composer remains unannounced.