

From Soundtracks to the Spotlight: Arab Artists Break Into the World of Video Game Music
By Youssef Ali
August 12 2025
From Soundtracks to the Spotlight: Arab Artists Break Into the World of Video Game Music
By Youssef Ali
August 12 2025
Over the past thirty years, music in video games has evolved from simple background audio into a core part of the gaming experience. Today, it plays a major role in storytelling, emotional impact, and interactivity, making games a space for artistic innovation and cross-cultural collaboration.
In the 1980s, consoles like Atari and Nintendo introduced players to limited, looped sounds due to technical restrictions. Still, iconic tracks like the Super Mario Bros. theme (1985) and the Tetris theme (1989) left a lasting mark. By the 1990s, games began to feature orchestral recordings, as heard in The Legend of Zelda. Entering the 2000s, studios started commissioning original compositions from world-renowned musicians for theme songs in titles like Assassin’s Creed.
Today, gaming has entered a new era of sonic immersion. With technologies like Dolby Atmos, players experience adaptive audio that responds to in-game actions. In titles like The Last of Us Part II and Red Dead Redemption, music shifts in real time, heightening emotional engagement and narrative depth.
Saudi Arabia has played a central role in shaping the intersection of music and gaming in the region. Beginning with Gamers8 in 2022, which evolved into the Esports World Cup in 2024, the country has hosted international tournaments for games like PUBG, FIFA, Assassin’s Creed, League of Legends, and Fortnite.
These events weren’t just competitions; they blended global gaming culture with live music, featuring performances by Post Malone, Dino from SEVENTEEN, Amr Diab, Marwan Moussa, and ElGrandeToto.
Arab music is also making its way into official game soundtracks. Elyanna’s “Ganeni” became the first Arabic-language track to appear in EA Sports FC25, mixing Arabic pop with electronic elements. Sung in a clear Egyptian dialect and built on a catchy structure, the track fits naturally into fast-paced gameplay.
In Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, set in ninth-century Baghdad, Saudi artist Mishaal Tamer teamed up with OneRepublic on Mirage, a track that blends Arabic violin and in-game sound samples with lyrics about challenge and transformation.
As the gaming industry continues to embrace audiovisual art forms, its influence on global music culture grows stronger. Gamers now discover new songs within games, seek them out on streaming platforms, and explore related sounds, whether through rhythm, melody, or language.
With increasing support from international events and a new wave of artists blending Eastern and Western influences, Arabic music is steadily carving its place in the gaming world, creating a soundtrack that’s perfectly in tune with its fast-evolving energy.
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