How Star Wars Prequels and Battlefront II Influenced the Zero Company Soundtrack

Ever wondered how galaxy-defining video game soundtracks are created? In this exclusive deep dive, composer Gordy Haab reveals how the Star Wars Zero Company score bridges past galactic adventures, expands upon John Williams's legendary motifs, and brings new musical life to Clone Wars-era tactical gameplay.

For nearly two full decades, composer Gordy Haab has been shaping the soundscape of a galaxy far, far away. In fact, given his vast catalogue of interactive work, a strong argument can be made that Haab is the most prolific composer in Star Wars history, standing alongside the legendary John Williams himself.

Throughout his celebrated career, Haab has composed music for a long list of major video games. His credits include the classic MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic, Star Wars: Battlefront I and Battlefront II, the space combat simulator Star Wars: Squadrons, and Respawn Entertainment's acclaimed titles Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor.

Most recently, Haab completed work on EA and Bit Reactor's new turn-based tactical title, Star Wars: Zero Company. Immediately following the game's official launch, Haab sat down to discuss how his own previous work, alongside the timeless foundational scores written by John Williams, directly shaped this latest project.

How the Star Wars Zero Company Score Acts as a Clone Wars Musical Sequel

During the post-release interview, Haab shared a fascinating perspective on his creative process. Rather than starting from scratch, he treats the Star Wars Zero Company score as a spiritual sequel to earlier stories set during the Clone Wars era.

To explain this artistic continuity, Haab pointed back to his work on 2017's Battlefront II as a major turning point in his career. Early on, his responsibilities were somewhat more constrained by traditional expectations.

"When I wrote the score for [2017's] Battlefront II, I felt like I was really onto something," Haab explains. "[With] Battlefront I, the assignment was to write the B-sides for the original scores. So [afterward] I really sort of branched off and started doing my own thing. So picking up [with Zero Company], I almost wanted to think of it as using Battlefront II as sort of my springboard. My parameter was 'What would be the sequel to that?' I wanted to have that sparkle that the Prequel era music has, but also have my personal aesthetic stamp on it."

By treating Battlefront II as a launching pad, Haab was able to tap into the orchestral energy of the Prequel era while continuing to build his own recognizable musical identity within the franchise.

How Lucasfilm's Rules for Composers Have Changed Over Time

Over the course of his long relationship with Star Wars, Haab has watched Lucasfilm's artistic directives change significantly. In the early days, composers were expected to stick closely to a unified cinematic blueprint.

However, as the franchise expanded across new media formats, Lucasfilm began granting creators greater freedom to explore fresh musical directions suited to their specific stories.

"In the beginning, Lucasfilm's direction was always 'Be original, do your own thing, but the north star is from the original films,'" Haab says. "But then with the onset of multiple shows and games having their own original stories, that's changed quite a bit. Each project I've worked on has had a different set of walls. When I worked on Star Wars: Hunters, I did the whole thing with an orchestra and a heavy metal band. That would not work in [Zero Company] or the Jedi series, [which is] much darker. It's much heavier, and it's got a lot of horror."

This willingness to establish unique project parameters allowed Haab to tailor his instrumentation directly to the mood of each individual title. For tactical and darker action titles, a heavy metal fusion would disrupt the atmosphere, requiring a heavier, more dramatic orchestral sound instead.

Handling the Pressure of the John Williams Legacy

In addition to his extensive work across the Star Wars galaxy, Haab has scored other beloved Lucasfilm properties. Notably, he wrote the music for 2024's action-adventure title Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Because his orchestral voice naturally complements the grand style of these classic franchises, listeners frequently compare Haab's compositions to those of John Williams. While he finds the association deeply flattering, Haab admits that living up to his musical hero initially brought a lot of pressure.

"In the beginning it was intimidating," Haab admits. "I felt that sort of pressure to try to live up to the original scores from the films. The ones that inspired me to even become a composer in the first place. I take those moments, I see those things happen, I absorb them, and then I quickly just forget about it and treat it as noise."

Rather than letting high expectations distract him, Haab developed a practical approach to managing praise and public comparison.

"It's almost like winning an award. I accept that award, which I consider that to be. That's a huge compliment to be spoken in the same sentence as my musical hero. But then I quickly put it away and say, 'Don't rest on those laurels. Do your thing, get back to work, create your voice within the franchise.'"

Writing the Main Theme: 15 Revisions to Achieve Simplicity

Despite his long history with the franchise, crafting the Star Wars Zero Company score introduced a brand-new set of creative obstacles. Scoring an XCOM-style tactical strategy game requires themes that can sustain tension during slow, deliberate decision-making without tiring the player.

To ensure the music was perfectly balanced, Haab invested months of preparation into developing the primary motifs before he ever started recording full orchestral arrangements.

"I spent a couple months just coming up with the themes before I even started putting pencil to paper," Haab reveals. "I probably wrote 15 versions of [the main] theme before I even sent it to the developers. I wouldn't even let it out the door of my own studio until I was absolutely thrilled with it. Version 1 was a lot of flourish. I spent a lot of time boiling that theme down to something that is extremely concise and simple, and I think it works."

By stripping away unnecessary flourishes, Haab turned the primary motif into a clean, memorable melody that can easily adapt to different combat scenarios across the game.

Key Character Motifs: Hawks vs The Plague

Aside from the game's core theme, Haab pointed to two specific character pieces as his personal favorites from the entire soundtrack. These two pieces demonstrate how contrast can heighten dramatic tension in a strategy game.

The first standout piece is the heroic theme composed for Hawks, the central leader of Zero Company. From a purely melodic perspective, Haab considers Hawks's motif his favorite due to its uplifting movement.

"I think from a melody standpoint, [the theme for Hawks, Zero Company's leader] is my personal favorite because it's got this heroic, drifting upwards shape," Haab explains.

In sharp contrast to Hawks's inspiring theme stands the terrifying motif written for the antagonist force known as the Plague. Haab carefully structured this piece to mirror the insidious nature of the threat itself.

"[And another one] would be the theme for the Plague," Haab says. "I wanted it to be something [where] you could have a huge set piece with Hawks's theme playing, and then the Plague theme would be much like the Plague itself and work its way through the texture of the music, develop[ing] into something pretty dark and heavy and grotesque."

John Williams Influences: The Force Theme and Imperial March

As a lifelong Star Wars fan who fell in love with the franchise while watching the original trilogy in theaters, Haab continually draws inspiration from John Williams's masterworks. Two cinematic themes in particular continue to guide his modern work on video game scores.

The first is the iconic Force Theme. For Haab, that specific composition captures the emotional heart of the entire saga.

"The Force theme," Haab says. "I think there's an obvious reason for that. It's utilized in every single one of the films and repeated multiple times. That was such an impactful moment in time for me because I was just a kid watching Luke look out over the double sunset and hearing that horn solo. I remember that, before I knew a thing about music, it shaped who I was. I think that is one of the greatest themes ever written."

The second major influence is the Imperial March. Haab admires how Williams balanced accessibility with harmonic complexity within a single track.

"[Also], if you look at the Imperial March, the first section is very singable," Haab notes. "Once you get into the B section of that thing, it starts to go really angular and chromatic to the point where, if you were to challenge me to sing it note for note right now, I probably wouldn't nail it. But I can remember the outline of it. I can remember the contour and the shape of it."

Golden Rules for Future Star Wars Game Composers

Having won prestigious accolades—including a Grammy Award for his work on Jedi: Survivor—Haab remains deeply respectful of the franchise's legacy. He recognizes that every composer who enters this universe is part of a larger tradition.

When asked what fundamental guidelines future composers should follow when writing Star Wars music, Haab highlighted several essential rules:

• Prioritize strong thematic melodies: Ensure heroes, villains, and major factions have clear, recognizable motifs that anchor the audience.
• Embrace symphonic complexity: Retain the rich harmonic sophistication and depth provided by a full orchestral arrangement.
• Honor the established sound: Respect the acoustic weight and foundational style established in the original films.
• Express your unique voice: Use the core rules as a guiding framework rather than a constraint, allowing your personal voice to shine through.
• Adapt to the gameplay style: Adjust the atmosphere and instrumentation to fit the specific needs of the game genre.

"I would say the two things that you really must take away from it are the importance of theme and not abandoning the sophistication and harmonic complexity that's available to you with a full symphonic orchestra," Haab advises. "I think that is sort of the recipe for good Star Wars music. Now what you do with it is completely up to you. Paint anything you want and it'll feel right as long as those things are honored."

Where to Play Star Wars Zero Company

Tactical gaming fans and audio enthusiasts can experience Gordy Haab's complete soundtrack right now. Star Wars: Zero Company is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

For more details on how the game plays and performs, be sure to read our 9/10 review. Our review highlights why it stands out as "an excellent tactical game that does a fantastic job of slathering on the same cinematic look and feel we saw in Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games."

Ultimately, the **Star Wars Zero Company score** demonstrates how respecting classic cinematic traditions while innovating for new interactive genres can produce an extraordinary musical experience.

from IGN India
-via DynaSage