Call of Duty Co-Creator Vince Zampella Dies in Crash

Renowned video game developer and executive Vince Zampella has died following a fatal car crash in California, prompting tributes from across the global gaming industry for his lasting influence on modern interactive entertainment.

Vince Zampella, a highly influential video game developer and executive, died on Sunday after a fatal traffic accident on a mountain road north of Los Angeles, according to local broadcaster NBC4. He was travelling in a Ferrari when the vehicle reportedly left the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and caught fire.

The California Highway Patrol said both the driver and a passenger who was ejected from the vehicle later died from their injuries. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Videos shared online showed the wreckage of the vehicle engulfed in flames.

Zampella was widely regarded as one of the architects of the modern first-person shooter genre. He co-created the Call of Duty franchise and later founded Respawn Entertainment, which produced successful titles including Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series. Over the years, his work reached hundreds of millions of players globally.

Electronic Arts, which acquired Respawn in 2017, described his death as an “unimaginable loss,” stating that his influence on interactive entertainment was “profound and far-reaching.” Industry peers and analysts credited Zampella with redefining large-scale gameplay, storytelling, and player engagement in modern video games.