The video game and music industry is in mourning, as a few hours ago the death of Stan LePard, a prolific composer who participated in very important franchises, was confirmed.
Musician Maclaine Diemer, a colleague of LePard, made the sad news known through his social networks. In case you didn’t know, LePard worked with major development studios from the likes of Bungie.
The musician composed and orchestrated an infinity of songs for titles of all genres. Likewise, he collaborated with Microsoft on the sound section of various operating systems. One of his most recent jobs was on the Guild Wars 2 soundtrack .
STAN LEPARD LEFT AN IMPORTANT LEGACY IN VIDEO GAME MUSIC
Diemer reported that Lepard passed away unexpectedly last week for reasons that were not disclosed. The musician thanked his colleague for his friendship and for guiding him through his career as a songwriter in Guild Wars 2 .
“I am deeply saddened to say that last week my friend and colleague Stan LePard passed away unexpectedly. Knowing him helped shape and change the course of my life and my music, ”Diemer wrote.
Lepard worked on renowned titles such as Destiny , Halo Reach , Halo 2 , Halo 3: ODST , Halo Wars , Crimson Skies , Age of Empires III: Asian Dynasties , Shadowrun , Age of Mythology , Battletech , among many others.
He collaborated with companies like PopCap Games, Ensemble Studios, ArenaNet, Microsoft Game Studios, Iron Galaxy and more developers. He also worked with Microsoft on software such as Encarta, Windows 98, and Windows XP.
Guild Wars 2 social media mourned the composer’s departure and thanked him for all the music he made to bring the world of the title to life. Brendon Williams, composer for Riot Games, also said goodbye to Lepard on social media.
“His death is a great loss to his family, friends and the Seattle gaming audio community. I am looking to establish a donation fund for your family and will post more details here when I have them. Thanks, Stan, for everything you’ve done for me. I will miss you very much, ”Diemer concluded.
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
We are so saddened to hear of Stan's passing, and thankful for everything his music brought to the world of Tyria. Thank you, @stanlepard. https://t.co/3opLjaU3Ow
— Guild Wars 2 (@GuildWars2) February 14, 2021
RIP to my friend Stan, who was also orchestrator for BATTLETECH (and many others) and a talented composer, keyboardist and just a good person. I will always think about the BATTLETECH sessions in Budapest as one of the best times in my life. 🖤 https://t.co/lgxkN50Mt8 pic.twitter.com/j7YMMrFWoU
— Jon Everist 🗯 (@JonEverist) February 14, 2021