Legacy Lost: Video Game Pioneer Vince Zampella Dies in Tragic Accident

Tue Dec 23 2025 16:08:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty and influential game developer, tragically lost his life in a car accident in California at the age of 55.

Vince Zampella, known for co-creating the iconic Call of Duty series, died in a car crash in Los Angeles, California. The tragedy occurred when the vehicle he was in veered off the road and caught fire. Zampella was 55 years old, and his passing has left a significant void in the gaming community, having greatly influenced the industry with titles such as Medal of Honor, Titanfall, and Apex Legends.

Vince Zampella, who co-created the widely-popular video game series Call of Duty, has died in a car crash in California, aged 55.

Zampella's death was confirmed by Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn Entertainment, a game studio he co-founded.

The influential video game developer was travelling in a Ferrari with another person when it crashed and caught fire on a highway in Los Angeles on Sunday.

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.

Officials said the person in the passenger seat was ejected while the driver remained trapped. It is unclear if Zampella was driving the car and who the other person was.

Both people inside the vehicle died.

For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed, the California Highway Patrol stated.

Zampella created Call of Duty with his long-time collaborators Jason West and Grant Collier in 2003.

Partly inspired by events in World War II, the game has sold more than 500 million copies making owners Microsoft's Activision one of the most profitable gaming companies. It has also spawned an upcoming live-action film.

The Call of Duty franchise was not his only success. He was also behind other widely popular games including the Medal of Honor, Titanfall, and Apex Legend.

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, remarked Keza MacDonald, the Guardian's video games editor.

In 2010, Zampella and West were fired from Activision, which publishes the Call of Duty games, leading to a long dispute with the company that was settled out of court in 2012.

At Electronic Arts, Zampella worked on Battlefield 6, seen as a direct competitor to Call of Duty.

Infinity Ward, the company that developed Call of Duty, expressed that Zampella will always have a special place in our history. They stated, Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable.