Vince Zampella, a video game designer and key figure in the acclaimed Call of Duty and Battlefield franchises, was killed in a car accident on Sunday, December 21, multiple media outlets reported.
According to a report by NBC Los Angeles, the crash happened on Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway, killing 55-year-old Zampella and another as-yet-unidentified passenger.
The accident was reported at around 12.45pm local time on Sunday after the car the couple was traveling in veered off the road and hit a concrete barrier.
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The driver was trapped and died in the ensuing car fire, NBC reported, adding that the passenger was ejected and later died at a hospital. It was not immediately clear whether Zampella was the driver or a passenger.
While details of the crash were not immediately available, witness video of the crash showed a 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS was involved, NBC reported.
Who was Vince Zampella?
Zampella’s tenure at Infinity Ward saw the studio under Activision release genre-defining shooters such as Call of Duty 2 (2005), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009).
Following his hugely successful stint with Activision, Zampella co-founded the video game studio Respawn Entertainment in 2010 with former Infinity Ward colleague Jason West.
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Since its inception, Respawn has released acclaimed titles such as Titanfall (2014), Titanfall 2 (2016), Apex Legends (2019), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019) and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023).
Although EA acquired Respawn in 2017, Zampella remained its CEO before taking over the Battlefield series for EA.
Under Zampello’s watch, the series bounced back from the disappointing launch of Battlefield 2042 in 2021 to the roaring success of this year’s Battlefield 6.
The tributes are pouring in
As news of Zampello’s tragic death spread, figures from the video game industry expressed their shock and paid tribute to the industry icon.
“The Game Awards mourns the loss of Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty and co-founder of Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment,” the annual awards program said.
“Vince Zampella wasn’t just an amazing game creator. He was also a friend. In total shock right now. Rest in peace an absolute legend and giant of our industry,” said JP Kellams, Senior Producer of Epic Games.
Gamers also joined in, posting video game links in tribute to Zampelle.
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates)
