Legendary game creator Vince Zampella has passed away

What’s Happening

Not gonna lie, Vince Zampella, known for co-creating the Call of Duty series, among many other roles, has died.

Zampella, 55, died in a car crash in Los Angeles on Sunday. The fatal crash killed him, along with the occupant of his car. (plot twist fr)

Read more Home News RIP, Vince Legendary game creator Vince Zampella has passed away Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty, and a veteran studio head responsible for some of the biggest franchises in the world, is gone.

The Details

News by Sherif Saed Contributing Editor Dec. 23, 2025 Follow Apex Legends Vince Zampella, known for co-creating the Call of Duty series, among many other roles, has died.

According to NBC , Zampella s Ferrari hit a concrete barrier after leaving a tunnel in the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles. Zampella was unfortunately trapped in an ensuing car fire, and the passenger was ejected.

Why This Matters

To see this content please enable targeting s. Manage settings Vince Zampella is one of the industry s most prolific creators. His storied career is long, and is responsible for some of the biggest shooter franchises in history.

The gaming community has been watching developments like this closely.

Key Takeaways

• It kicked off with Medal of Honor in the 90s, a game that changed WW2 shooters forever.
• Zampella later co-founded the legendary Infinity Ward in 2002, the team that would go on to redefine multiplayer shooters forever.
• Zampella then left the studio he founded in 2010 following a major fallout with Activision .

The Bottom Line

The studio is responsible for non-shooters, of course, like the third-person action game series Star Wars Jedi. Zampella was instrumental in making the game possible, having hired God of War 3 director Stig Asmussen to helm a team within Respawn out of a desire to diversify the studio s output and prove he can do more than make shooters.

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