Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the hugely successful video game series Call of Duty, has died after a fatal car crash in California. He was 55.
His death was confirmed by Electronic Arts, the company that owns Respawn Entertainment, the game studio he helped start. The crash happened on a Los Angeles highway on Sunday while Zampella was travelling in a Ferrari with another person.
According to officials, the vehicle left the road, hit a concrete barrier and burst into flames. Both people inside the car died at the scene. Authorities said the passenger was thrown from the vehicle while the driver was trapped inside. It has not been confirmed whether Zampella was driving or who the other occupant was.
“For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed,” the California Highway Patrol said in a statement to the BBC.
Electronic Arts described his death as a devastating loss to the gaming world.
“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince's family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work,” a spokesperson for Electronic Arts told the BBC.
Zampella co-created Call of Duty in 2003 alongside long-time collaborators Jason West and Grant Collier. The game, partly inspired by World War II events, grew into one of the biggest entertainment franchises in history, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide. Its success helped turn Microsoft-owned Activision into one of the most profitable companies in the gaming industry and also led to the development of a live-action film.
Beyond Call of Duty, Zampella played a key role in the creation of other major titles, including Medal of Honor, Titanfall and Apex Legend, further shaping modern video gaming.
His influence extended beyond sales and technology. Those who worked with him said he cared deeply about how players experienced games.
“He really cared about the player experience, he cared about making games, he cared about how people felt when they played and that really came across whenever you spoke to him,” Keza MacDonald, the Guardian’s video games editor, told BBC Newshour.
In 2010, Zampella and Jason West were dismissed from Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty. The move led to a lengthy legal dispute between the two developers and the company, which was later resolved out of court in 2012.
After joining Electronic Arts, Zampella worked on Battlefield 6, a title widely viewed as a rival to Call of Duty.
Infinity Ward, the studio that developed Call of Duty, said Zampella’s impact would never be forgotten.
“Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable,” the company said in a statement on X.
