Can live orchestras elevate gameplay? Inside GAMOMAT’s symphonic approach with Iris Wallner
GAMOMAT’s Lead Game Composer, Iris Wallner, unpacks the creative and technical thinking behind Dead Legion’s live orchestral soundtrack in a feature for SiGMA Magazine issue 35, released during SiGMA Central Europe this month, offering a clear view of how cinematic audio can heighten immersion and strengthen product identity in iGaming. The piece explains why Dead Legion was chosen for a full orchestral treatment, how the score was shaped in tandem with game design, and the production discipline required to ensure music enhances rather than distracts from play. It also signals continued investment in premium audio across GAMOMAT’s roadmap through its Berlin-based development operation, reinforcing a studio culture anchored in quality and consistency at scale.
Wallner is an experienced composer for games, film, and interactive media, specialising in cinematic and symphonic scoring with a body of work spanning hundreds of professional productions across formats and genres. She holds a master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Vienna, studied orchestration privately in Vienna and Los Angeles with notable mentors, and participated in the ASCAP Television and Film Scoring Workshop in 2010. Her career includes NOVOMATIC and, since 2021, the Lead Game Composer role at GAMOMAT Development GmbH in Berlin, bringing deep cross-sector expertise to interactive audio.
Why did Dead Legion work?
Wallner frames Dead Legion as a dark horror title whose atmosphere and visual ambition made it “perfectly” suited to a complete live orchestra, aligning scope with sound to deliver impact that players can feel throughout the experience. She emphasises that only the studio’s “most stunning releases are worthy of a grand symphonic score,” presenting orchestral production as a deliberate, selective choice that supports portfolio strategy and audience expectations. In this context, the game “rose above its peers,” becoming the natural candidate for GAMOMAT’s first fully live recorded score and setting a high watermark for future productions.
How was the score built?
The musical brief fused “the masterful quality of film scores with intense and edgy elements, shaping a palette that feels epic and heroic while remaining ominous without tipping into outright fright, a measured balance for the genre and audience. From early sketches, composition and detailed orchestration progressed alongside Game Design, with the team providing a “vital second pair of ears” to match cues with pacing, atmosphere, and moment-to-moment play. The work moved “from first drafts to printed sheet music,” reflecting the preparation needed for a live session that would carry its impact into gameplay, not just the recording studio.
What makes the score immersive?
- “Meticulous planning from the beginning” and close collaboration with product design anchor the orchestral vision in gameplay reality.
- Immersion is validated through editing, mixing, mastering, and integrated sound design, then fine-tuned against live gameplay.
- The end result “feels alive, dynamic, and perfectly in sync with the world of Dead Legion,” enhancing mood without overpowering it.
What’s next for GAMOMAT?
Wallner notes that working with a live orchestra has “taken the quality of our game soundtracks to a new level,” revealing that a second title was recorded during the same session and that another orchestral recording is planned before the year’s end, indicating operational momentum rather than a one-off.
Future projects will incorporate “live instruments and vocals influenced by musical genres, including pop, rock, or world music,” applied where the creative fit is right, broadening the studio’s sonic palette while maintaining coherence with each game’s identity. As a German online software developer with development centred in Berlin and a catalogue of over 150 online slots, GAMOMAT’s structure supports consistent delivery and iterative craft across audio and gameplay.
SiGMA South Asia will be held from 30 November to 02 December 2025 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the Lumina Ballroom. This event gathers experts in iGaming, emerging tech, and digital innovation for three days of keynotes, panels, awards, and networking, along with opportunities to enjoy Colombo’s vibrant scene.
