Prolific video game composer Stan LePard has passed away. His well-known works include Halo Reach, Guild Wars 2, and Age of Empires III.
Anybody who plays games will have a deep appreciation for the music that scores our favourite titles. Music in this genre can make or break a gaming experience, whic is why we are deeply saddened to share the news of Stan LePard’s passing.
A legendary figure within video game music composition and orchestration, LePard was responsible for creating timeless tunes that elevated our gaming experiences from good to great.
LePard contributed to many significant releases from the ’90s onwards. Most notably he composed tracks for Halo ODST, Halo Reach, Age of Empires III, Guild Wars 2, Windows 98, Windows XP, and even the MSN set-up music.
He also served as a composer to many of PopCap Studios’ biggest games, from Plants vs. Zombies to Peggle.
To me personally, his most impactful music was his orchestration of the material used in the Age of Mythology, an RTS combat game set in Ancient Greece. I have many fond memories throwing waves of ‘Hoplites’ at my friends’ bases while bangers such as Adult Swim filled my ears. It was a beautiful blend of groovy, snappy percussion, with an ethereal marimba gently bopping along.
A cause of death has not been revealed publicly, but many of LePard’s friends and colleagues have shared the news on Twitter.
Find out more about Stan LePard’s work here.
I'm deeply saddened to say that last week, my friend and colleague @stanlepard passed away unexpectedly. Knowing him helped shape and change the course of my life and my music. He was a big part of my work for @GuildWars2, in addition to his own musical contributions to the game. pic.twitter.com/F8SxGs99EQ
— Maclaine Diemer (@maclainediemer) February 14, 2021
