Vince Zampella, co-founder of the blockbuster Call of Duty franchise, died Sunday in a car crash north of Los Angeles, Electronic Arts confirmed Monday. He was 55.
Driving his Ferrari on a scenic mountain road, Zampella veered off, hit a concrete barrier, and the vehicle burst into flames, per California Highway Patrol. Both he and a passenger—who was ejected—perished. Bystander videos showed the wrecked red Ferrari ablaze; the cause remains under investigation.
A pioneer in first-person shooters, Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward in 2002, launching Call of Duty in 2003 (later Activision-acquired). After a bitter split, he started Respawn Entertainment in 2010 (EA bought it in 2017), creating Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi titles. He revitalized Battlefield at EA. The series has 100M+ players, with 100M monthly actives.
“We never take moments like this for granted,” Zampella said earlier this year on Black Ops 6‘s milestone. In a 2016 IGN interview: “You dream of a hit, but no one prepares for that scale.”
EA mourned: “Unfathomable loss… his work shaped modern gaming.” Respawn praised his team trust and innovation advocacy. Journalist Gene Park told NBC4: Zampella mastered “political, violent stories tapping fear, anxiety, heroism.”
