Vince Zampella, the acclaimed co-creator of video gaming juggernaut “Call of Duty,” has died in a car accident, gaming giant Electronic Arts confirmed on Monday (December 22, 2025). He was 55 years old.
The developer and executive died while driving his Ferrari on a scenic road north of Los Angeles on Sunday (December 21, 2025), according to the local broadcaster. nbc4,
“For unknown reasons, the vehicle left the roadway, struck a concrete barrier and was completely engulfed,” the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said in a statement, without identifying the two victims of the crash.
The driver and a passenger, who were ejected from the vehicle, both died from their injuries, the CHP said.
Eyewitnesses posted video of a cherry-red Ferrari engulfed in flames on a mountain road. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
His studio created some of the world’s best-selling video games, and Zampella was considered an innovator in the first-person military shooter genre of games.
This year, when his “Battlefield 6” video game set a new sales record for the franchise, Zampella expressed gratitude, saying, “We never take moments like this for granted” – despite a long career of success in gaming.
This mass combat game has won the hearts of over 100 million players in its various iterations over the past two decades.
And yet, this number is not the first. To date, “Call of Duty” has more than 100 million monthly active players.
“Your dream is for the game to be popular, but I don’t think you’re ever ready for that level of success,” Zampella told the gaming site. ign In a 2016 interview.
deep, far reaching
Zampella was best known for co-creating the “Call of Duty” franchise and founding Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind the “Titanfall,” “Apex Legends” and “Star Wars Jedi” games.
After starting out as a designer on shooter games in the 1990s, he co-founded Infinity Ward in 2002 and helped launch “Call of Duty” in 2003. Their studio was later acquired by Activision.
He left Activision under controversial circumstances and founded Respawn in 2010, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017.
At EA, he ultimately took charge of reviving the “Battlefield” franchise, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential figures in modern first-person shooter games.
“This is an unimaginable loss and our thoughts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and everyone impacted by his work,” Electronic Arts said in a statement.
“Vince’s impact on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching,” the company said, adding, “His work helped shape modern interactive entertainment.”
A statement from Respawn posted on the “Battlefield”
Zampella “supported what he thought was right for the people behind those studios and our players because it mattered.”
“It was a bold, aggressive way of telling a story, a moment in time that was political, that was violent, and that was impactful,” Washington Post Video game reporter Gene Park told nbc4,
“He really knew how to build stories and how to create experiences that really hit at the heart of the human experience – whether it’s terror, fear, heroism. I think he was really able to encapsulate that through the design of the video games he created,” Mr. Park said.
published – December 23, 2025 12:35 PM IST