Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella dies in car crash: 'Visionary creator...inspired millions'

Vince Zampella, who co-created bestselling video games such as Call of Duty, died after a car crash in California. He was 55. Zampella’s death was confirmed by Electronic Arts, which owns gaming studio Respawn Entertainment, which he ha co-founded.

Zampella was also the former chief executive of video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio behind the successful Call of Duty franchise.

Zampella co-created Call of Duty 

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," the statement said. “His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”

One of Zampella’s crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide.

The creator of Call of Duty and Battlefield 6 was killed in a car crash

Vince Zampella lost control of his Ferrari as it exited a tunnel, crashed into a barrier, and caught fire.

Zampella was driving and died at the scene. The passenger was thrown from the car by the impact and… pic.twitter.com/k87Mz0XrDe

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 23, 2025

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The first-person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has sold over 500 million copies globally. Subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare and there is a live-action movie based on the game in production with Paramount Pictures.

In recent years, Zampella was at the helm of the creation of the action adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Geoff Keighley, video game journalist and co-creator of The Game Awards, said he was shocked to hear of Zampella’s sudden death.

We are heartbroken by the loss of Vince Zampella, a creative leader whose work shaped generations of players and helped define what modern shooters and action games could be.

Across a remarkable career, Vince played a foundational role in franchises including Call of Duty,… pic.twitter.com/M2NgyJRWu2

— Battlefield (@Battlefield) December 22, 2025

“Vince was 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,” Keighley wrote on social media on Monday. “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."

With agency inputs