'A legend of our industry': Vince Zampella tributes as Call of Duty co-creator dies in car crash

Vince Zampella, the co-creator of Call of Duty, founder of Respawn Entertainment and executive vice president at Electronic Arts (EA) Entertainment overseeing the Battlefield franchise, has died aged 55 and the gaming community has been paying tribute to him.

NBC Los Angeles reports a single-car crash in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles was reported to California Highway Patrol (CHP) at around 12.45pm local time (PT).

Officials said two people were travelling in a vehicle which went off the road after coming out of a tunnel. It then hit a concrete barrier and a passenger was ejected. The vehicle then caught fire.

The driver died at the scene and the passenger later died in hospital. Zampella's death has also been confirmed by multiple gaming studios.

Vince Zampella has died aged 55 / Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer, Getty Images for EA Entertainment

Zampella was one of the creators behind the iconic first-person shooter series Call of Duty which debuted in 2003. He worked on what are widely considered to be among the very best Call of Duty games of all time, in Modern Warfare (2007) and Modern Warfare 2 (2009).

He founded Respawn Entertainment which is owned by Electronic Arts (EA) and the studio has created games such as Apex Legends, the popular Star Wars Jedi games and Titanfall.

Zampella most recently became the head of Battlefield in December 2021 and was tasked with leading the franchise following the pretty disastrous launch of Battlefield 2042. He led on the creation of Battlefield 6 which released in October 2025 and the game had the biggest launch in this history of the franchise.

A number of gaming studios and companies associated with Zampella posted statements on X / Twitter.

A statement from Battlefield said: "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.

"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."

EA said: "This is an unimaginable loss and our hearts are with Vince's family, his loved ones and all those touched by his work.

"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."

Respawn Entertainment said: "We're heartbroken by the passing of our founder and dear friend Vince Zampella. Vince was a titan and legend of this industry.

"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 Respawn and Battlefield. Most importantly, he championed what he believed was right for the people behind those studios and our players because it mattered.

"We will miss him greatly. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who love him."

Infinity Ward said: "Rest in peace Vince. As one of the founders of Infinity Ward and Call of Duty, you will always have a special place in our history.

"Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable. Our deepest condolences to Vince's family and loved ones upon this terrible tragedy."

A statement from Call of Duty said: "Millions of us have been forever inspired by Vince Zampella's work. His legacy is enduring. Across all our Call of Duty teams and all across Activision, we offer our deepest condolences to Vince's family, friends and fans on his tragic passing."

A statement from Lucasfilm Games said: "We are devastated by the loss of Vince Zampella, who was an incredible force in video games.

"His creativity, leadership and passion for games not only helped shape the industry but also inspired generations of storytellers. His legacy will continue to live on through the worlds he helped build and the people he inspired along the way.

"Our hearts go out to his family, friends and colleagues."

Gamers have also been paying tribute to him in the Gaming Subreddit.

One said: "Nooooo! Never heard a bad word about him, loved his work and spent many hours in Titanfall 2, Apex and Battlefield 6. Rest in peace."

"F****** tragic," a second commented. "RIP to an absolute legend in the industry."

A third posted: "God that's tragic. 55 is no age."

A fourth said: "Holy f***. This is tragic. RIP. I was just thinking last week that this man is behind some of my absolute favourite games... Including the Star Wars games and more recently Battlefield 6."

And a fifth commented: "I was one of the level designers working under Vince during Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and Call of Duty (the first one). A big part of my career story is the time I quit to pursue other life things and maybe a year later Vince called me while I was framing a house in 20 degree cold to do contract work on Call of Duty: United Offensive. He later invited me to do contract work on Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and finally convinced me to go out to LA to do full time work on Modern Warfare 2. I wouldn't be where I am today without Vince being awesome. Terrible news. RIP Vince..."

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