‘Call of Duty’ Co-Creator Vince Zampella Killed at 55 in Tragic Accident

Vince Zampella, a well-known video game developer and co-creator of the “Call of Duty” franchise, has been killed in a car accident on Sunday afternoon, according to NBC4 Investigates. The crash happened on Angeles Crest Highway in Southern California, north of Los Angeles.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the single-car crash occurred around 12:45 p.m. The vehicle, a 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS, went off the road, hit a concrete barrier, and caught fire.

The driver, later confirmed to be Zampella, died at the scene, while a passenger was taken to a hospital and also passed away. Authorities have not yet released details on what caused the crash.

Zampella, 55, was a major figure in the gaming world. He co-founded Respawn Entertainment in 2010, the studio behind hits like “Titanfall,” “Titanfall 2,” “Apex Legends,” and “STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order.”

Respawn was later acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017. Before that, Zampella served as CEO of Infinity Ward, the studio that developed the original “Call of Duty” games. At the time of his death, he was leading work on the “Battlefield” franchise.

The Ferrari involved in the crash is a high-performance sports car with a hybrid twin-turbo V-6 engine, capable of over 819 horsepower. A witness provided video of the crash to authorities, showing the severity of the accident.

Zampella’s contributions to gaming earned him a reputation as a creative and influential leader in the industry. He helped shape some of the best-selling and most iconic video game franchises in recent history, leaving a lasting legacy.

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