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By Gabe Whisnant
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Vince Zampella, the influential video game developer best known for co-creating the Call of Duty franchise, died Sunday at age 55 in a single-vehicle car crash near Los Angeles, authorities and local media reported.
Vince Zampella Killed in Crash: What We Know
The crash occurred around 12:45 p.m. on Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains when the vehicle Zampella was driving veered off the road and struck a concrete barrier, according to the California Highway Patrol. Zampella, a co-founder of Infinity Ward and later Respawn Entertainment, was pronounced dead at the scene; a passenger also died from injuries sustained in the crash.
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Authorities told NBC Los Angeles that a witness provided video footage of the crash involving a 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS.
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List of Games That Vince Zampella Helped Create
Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment in 2010, a studio later acquired by Electronic Arts, and previously served as chief executive of Infinity Ward, the developer behind the blockbuster Call of Duty franchise. The first-person shooter series debuted in 2003 as a World War II–themed game and has since sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the most successful franchises in video game history.
Later installments expanded into modern and futuristic warfare, and the property has been developed beyond gaming, including plans for a feature film.
Zampella’s work helped shape some of the most successful first-person shooter games in history, including Titanfall and Apex Legends, and he most recently led work on the Battlefield franchise under Electronic Arts. In recent years, Zampella also oversaw the development of the action-adventure titles Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which were both critical and commercial successes.
What People Are Saying
Geoff Keighley, a Canadian video game journalist, producer and host best known for creating and running The Game Awards, the annual global awards show that honors achievements in the video game industry, wrote on X: I cannot believe I am writing this. Vince Zampella, a titan of the video game industry, the co-creator of Call of Duty and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, not to mention a dear friend, died in a car crash yesterday in Los Angeles."
Keighley's post continued, "He leaves behind an incredible legacy of work. I’ll miss our dinners and long conversations. And while he created some of the most influential games of our time, I always felt he still had his greatest one ahead of him. It’s heartbreaking that we’ll never get to play it."
A spokesperson for Electronic Arts said in a statement on Monday that Zampella'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."
Updates: 12/22/25, 6:53 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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