Tributes paid to Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella, 'whose work shaped generations of players' after he died in car crash
Many tributes have been paid to Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella who has died aged 55 - with one person calling him a ‘titan of the gaming industry’.
Video game company Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn Entertainment, a game studio Zampella co-founded, confirmed that he died on Sunday (December 21).
A spokesperson for Electronic Arts said Zampella’s influence on the video game industry was “profound and far-reaching”.
“A friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world,” the statement said. “His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
According to local news reports, Zampella was travelling in a Ferrari with another person, who has not been named, when it crashed and caught fire on a highway in Los Angeles, California.
Officials said the person on the vehicle's passenger seat was ejected while the driver remained trapped. It is unclear if Zampella was driving the car. 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 said in a statement to the BBC.
Zampella created Call of Duty with his long-time collaborators Jason West and Grant Collier, back in 2003. It led to multiple spin-offs and follow-up versions. The most recent game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, was released in November this year. It remains one of the most successful franchises in the gaming industry.
Zampella also worked on multiple other noteable games. A statement on the offiical X page for Battlefield, another first person shooter game he was involved in, read: “We are heartbroken by the loss of Vince Zampella, a creative leader whose work shaped generations of players and helped define what modern shooters and action games could be.
“Across a remarkable career, Vince played a foundational role in franchises including Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series. During his time guiding Battlefield, he led with care and purpose, always grounding decisions in what mattered most to the community and the long-term future of the franchise.
“While his impact reached far beyond any one game or studio, we will remember Vince for how he showed up every day, trusting his teams, encouraging bold ideas, and believing in Battlefield and the people building it. We are deeply grateful for his leadership, his generosity, and the care he brought to everything he touched, and we will carry that forward with us.”
Video game journalist and television presenter Geoff Keighley called Zampella a “titan of the video game industry” in his tribute, which he posted on X.
Fans have also taken to X to share their condolences. Posting images of various games Zampella worked on one said: “Thank you for all the incredible experiences and defining memories.” Another said they were “heartbroken” and would “deeply mourn” his loss.