Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Wins Grammy for Best Video Game Score

Originally released in 1981 for the Apple II, Wizardry helped shape modern RPGs with its dungeon-crawling gameplay. In 2023, developer Digital Eclipse revived the classic with a full 3D remake, including a brand-new soundtrack composed by Winifred Phillips (God of War, Borderlands). The remake was praised for modernizing the experience while preserving its old-school challenge.

Phillips, who composed an original score from scratch due to the original game’s lack of music, expressed her excitement after receiving the award.

We’re creating music that needs to accompany people who are having an experience, making choices, and living a grand story,” she said. “It’s a wonderful privilege because it feels like collaborating with the players.

Other nominees included Pinar Toprak (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora), Bear McCreary (God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla), John Paesano (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2), and Wilbert Roget II (Star Wars Outlaws). Past winners of the category include Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor) and Stephanie Economou (Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok).

The Grammy Awards only recently introduced a dedicated video game music category in 2023, but gaming scores have made an impact before. In 2011, Civilization IV’s “Baba Yetu” became the first video game track to win a Grammy, followed by Journey’s nomination in 2013.

With this latest win, Wizardry’s legacy continues, proving that video game music deserves a place among the industry’s greatest compositions.