Published on December 23, 2025
By Vanessa Onah
Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of the globally successful Call of Duty video game franchise, has died following a car crash in the United States. He was 55.
Electronic Arts (EA) confirmed Zampella’s death on Monday. According to reports by local broadcaster NBC4, the incident occurred on Sunday on a mountain road north of Los Angeles.
Zampella was said to be driving when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a barrier. Authorities later confirmed that both the driver and a passenger sustained fatal injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
Tributes have begun to pour in from across the gaming industry, where Zampella was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures of his generation.
He rose to prominence in the early 2000s after co-founding Infinity Ward and helping to launch Call of Duty in 2003, a title that went on to define the modern first-person shooter genre. The franchise has since grown into one of the most commercially successful in gaming history, with tens of millions of active players worldwide.
Following Infinity Ward’s acquisition by Activision, Zampella later founded Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind hit titles such as Titanfall, Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi series.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Zampella was credited with shaping the direction of modern action games and mentoring a new generation of developers.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash are ongoing.