The global video game industry is reeling from the sudden and tragic loss of Vince Zampella, the pioneering developer and executive widely known as the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise and the founder of Respawn Entertainment. Zampella, 55, died on Sunday, December 21, 2025, following a catastrophic single-vehicle crash in Southern California.

Electronic Arts (EA), the parent company of Respawn Entertainment where Zampella served as a top executive, confirmed the developer’s passing, calling the loss “unimaginable.”

Tragedy on Angeles Crest Highway

The fatal crash occurred on the Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles. According to reports from the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Zampella was driving a high-performance Ferrari when the vehicle veered off the winding two-lane road shortly after exiting a tunnel. The car slammed into a concrete barrier and became immediately engulfed in flames.

The CHP confirmed that Zampella and an unidentified passenger both succumbed to their injuries. Zampella was pronounced dead at the scene, while the passenger was reported to have died later in the hospital. The cause of the vehicle veering off the road remains under investigation.

A Legacy That Defined a Genre

Vince Zampella’s influence on modern interactive entertainment is considered profound and far-reaching. His career was marked by the creation of some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed video game franchises in history.

• Call of Duty (2003): After co-founding Infinity Ward in 2002, Zampella and his team launched Call of Duty, which evolved from a WWII shooter into a global phenomenon that captured the attention of gamers worldwide. His creative leadership was instrumental in the franchise’s most defining entries, including Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), which not only revolutionized the first-person shooter genre with its cinematic scope and groundbreaking multiplayer design but also set new standards for narrative depth and character development within the gaming industry. This entry paved the way for future installments, creating a legacy that transcended original expectations and redefined how players engage in immersive gameplay experiences.
• Respawn Entertainment: Following a highly publicized split from Activision in 2010, Zampella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, where he demonstrated his versatility by developing hit franchises like Titanfall, the immensely popular battle royale title Apex Legends, and the acclaimed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor action-adventure games.
• Executive Leadership: At the time of his death, Zampella was a key executive at Electronic Arts and had recently been tasked with overseeing the revitalization of the Battlefield franchise, a challenge he was tackling with his characteristic focus on player experience and creative freedom.

Tributes Pour In

News of Zampella’s death sent shockwaves through the gaming community, prompting an outpouring of tributes from colleagues, competitors, and players worldwide.

Electronic Arts released a statement praising Zampella as “a friend, colleague, leader, and visionary creator,” adding, “His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”

Video game journalist and co-creator of The Game Awards, Geoff Keighley, lamented the loss on social media, describing Zampella as “an extraordinary person—a gamer at heart, but also a visionary executive with a rare ability to recognize talent and give people the freedom and confidence to create something truly great.”

Zampella, who was 55, is survived by his three children. The industry is left to reflect on the immense void left by a leader whose work not only generated billions of dollars but fundamentally altered the landscape of modern gaming.