Vince Zampella, a veteran video game developer best known for helping shape the modern first-person shooter genre and for co-creating the Call of Duty franchise, has died after a crash on a mountain road north of Los Angeles, according to police and statements from his employer. He was 55.
California Highway Patrol said in a news release that a vehicle on Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains “veered off the roadway” and struck a concrete barrier, bursting into flames. The driver was trapped inside and was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP said. A passenger in the vehicle was ejected and later died after being taken to hospital, the release said. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.
Local reporting identified the vehicle as a Ferrari and described the collision happening just after the car exited a tunnel on the winding two-lane route. Authorities have not publicly detailed what may have led the vehicle to leave the roadway, and officials have not said whether speed, impairment or mechanical issues were factors. CHP said the reasons were unknown.
Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn Entertainment, confirmed Zampella’s death in a statement, calling it “an unimaginable loss” and adding that its “hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work.” The company said Zampella’s influence on the industry had been profound, describing him as a leader and creator whose work helped shape modern interactive entertainment.
Zampella’s career spanned more than two decades at the highest levels of big-budget game development, with his name tied to some of the most commercially successful and influential shooter franchises in the world. He was a co-founder of Infinity Ward, the studio that launched Call of Duty in the early 2000s and helped establish a template for cinematic, fast-paced military shooters that would dominate the genre for years.
Call of Duty’s growth from a World War II shooter into a global entertainment brand has been widely credited to the groundwork laid by the early development teams who set the tone for its single-player campaigns and competitive multiplayer design. While the series would later expand across multiple studios and yearly releases, Zampella’s role in creating the original studio and overseeing formative titles made him one of the franchise’s defining figures.
After leaving Infinity Ward, Zampella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, where he became associated with a new wave of shooters that blended mobility, large-scale spectacle and competitive play. Respawn’s Titanfall series introduced wall-running and fluid traversal to mainstream console shooters, while Apex Legends, a free-to-play battle royale set in the same universe, became one of the most prominent live-service games of its era, drawing millions of players and establishing an esports ecosystem.
Zampella also held senior leadership roles within Electronic Arts, with oversight that expanded beyond Respawn and into the publisher’s broader shooter portfolio. In recent years he had been associated with efforts to steer EA’s Battlefield franchise, which has faced intense scrutiny from fans and players after turbulent releases and shifting development strategies.
The crash has prompted an immediate outpouring of grief across the gaming world, where Zampella was viewed not only as a high-level executive but as a creative force whose decisions shaped how modern shooters feel to play. Tributes circulated online from developers, competitive players and fans, with many pointing to the legacy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and other early titles as landmarks that changed expectations for multiplayer pacing, progression systems and cinematic presentation.
Police have not released the name of the second person who died in the crash, and authorities have not provided details about the passenger’s identity or relationship to Zampella. CHP said both occupants succumbed to their injuries, and the case remained under investigation.
Los Angeles County officials had not, at the time of reporting by major outlets, publicly provided a detailed coroner’s report setting out the manner of death beyond the fatal injuries sustained in the collision. Authorities also did not announce any timeline for concluding the crash investigation or for releasing additional findings.
For many in the industry, Zampella’s impact is measured not only in sales figures but in the way his games influenced design trends. Call of Duty helped popularise a rhythm of short, intense multiplayer matches supported by constant unlocks and rewards, while Respawn’s later work pushed movement mechanics and team-based abilities deeper into mainstream shooter design. Those approaches have since been echoed across numerous franchises and studios, shaping what players now expect from competitive shooters.
EA’s statement framed Zampella as someone whose influence extended beyond any single title or franchise, emphasising the breadth of his reach and the scale of the audience touched by his work. The company said his legacy would be felt across the industry and among players worldwide.