Vince Zampella, Creator Of The 'Call Of Duty' Franchise, Has Passed Away Following An Accident
Image Source: GV Wire
Video game developer Vince Zampella sadly passed on December 21st, 2025, when his Ferrari 296 GTS crashed in the San Gabriel Valley. Zampella was pronounced dead at the scene after his car collided with the barrier after exiting the tunnel on the Angeles Crest Highway. He was just 55 years old.
Born in 1970 in Florida, Vince Zampella was working as a handyman when a friend recommended him for a job at computer game company Gametek (Pinball Dreams for the SNES), just as the industry was taking off. He went from strength to strength, eventually setting up Atari’s PC division before he was recruited as the lead designer on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. As a result of Electronic Arts' increasingly tight reins, twenty-two designers and programmers, including Zampella, jumped ship and formed their own studio, Infinity Ward. A deal was brokered with Activision to create a new first-person shooter, code-named ‘MOH Killer’. This became Call of Duty.
The relationship with Activision was not a harmonious one. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 became the biggest game of 2009, but Zampella (and Jason West) was denied bonuses and royalties and fired. Zampella responded by starting Respawn Entertainment and taking Activision to court. Respawn has since put out the Medal of Honor Above and Beyond (which included the first production by a video game company to win an Oscar), the Titanfall franchise, as well as the Star Wars Jedi series.
In a statement to the press, Electronic Arts gave the following tribute: “Vince’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. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
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