Interview: World of Warcraft Lead Composer On Making Of Midnight's Human-Made Music

"Warcraft is very broad. The list of things that aren't WoW is almost shorter than what is WoW. We don't use sawtooth dance synths. Stuff like that isn't really WoW. But a couple of years ago, the answer would probably have been, 'We don't really use guitar.' But then we did a Goblin Jazz patch that had a bunch of guitar on it, and coming up in Midnight, there's a bunch of distorted guitar in some of the zones, which wasn't a thing before now."

"World of Warcraft's sound is largely dictated by the game's art. What is the game asking us to do? It's about being in the background. We are there to support the gameplay and the story without overstepping the boundaries, without making it about us - unless it's like a big cinematic moment. It's about being in the background, but trying to find cool ways to do it."

Leo Kaliski, World of Warcraft's lead composer, explains the musical identity of the MMORPG as broad and diverse, contrasting it with the narrower, darker sound of Diablo. WoW's music avoids certain elements like sawtooth dance synths but has evolved to include new sounds, such as distorted guitar in Midnight's zones. The composition philosophy prioritizes supporting gameplay and storytelling while remaining in the background, except during cinematic moments. Kaliski emphasizes that music serves the game's art direction and visual themes. The Midnight expansion explores light and dark as major thematic elements, influencing the musical composition across new zones.

Read at Game Informer