Respawn Co-Founder, Call of Duty Co-Creator, and Head of Battlefield Vince Zampella Dies in Crash

by
William D’Angelo
, posted 16 hours ago / 3,409 Views

Vince Zampella, the former CEO of Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, has died in a car crash aged 55, according to NBC4 Investigates.

He died a in a single vehicle car crash north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains. The car veered off the road and hit a concrete barrier. The California Highway Patrol said a passenger was ejected. 

The driver was trapped in a car fire. The driver died at the scene and the passenger died at a hospital. It isn’t known if Zampella was the driver or passenger.

Zampella was a graphic designer in the 1990s before working for gaming companies like Atari and Sega. He would later be the lead designer on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.

He would later co-found Infinity Ward with Grant Collier and Jason West. At the developer he worked on Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. He would go on to co-found Respawn Entertainment in 2010. He would work on the Titanfall series and more at the studio.

Respawn would be acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017, and Zampella would move to LA branch of EA owned DICE. He was put in charge of the Battlefield franchise in 2021 following the underperformance of Battlefield 2042.

Zampella most recently worked on Battlefield 6, which sold over seven million units in just three days. EA has also stated Battlefield 6 is the best-selling shooter of 2025.

Electronic Arts has released a statement on the death of Vince Zampella:

“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work. Vince’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. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”

Read a statement from Infinity Ward:

Rest in peace Vince.

As one of the founders of Infinity Ward and Call of Duty, you will always have a special place in our history.

Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable.

Our deepest condolences to Vince’s family and loved ones upon this terrible tragedy.

Geoff Keighley, The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest creator and host, released his own statement:

I cannot believe I am writing this.

Vince Zampella, a titan of the video game industry, the co-creator of Call of Duty and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, not to mention a dear friend, died in a car crash yesterday in Los Angeles.

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.

I saw that up close while writing The Final Hours of Titanfall. I’ll always be deeply grateful that he trusted me to tell the story of the company’s founding. Even when it was difficult or uncomfortable, Vince never wavered in his commitment to honesty and transparency. He believed that the truth mattered, and he was willing to share it with the world.

Vince cared deeply about doing the right thing. And even while working inside large organizations, he consistently pushed to put players first — to prioritize the experience, the craft, and the people who played the games.

He leaves behind an incredible legacy of work. I’ll miss our dinners and long conversations. 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.

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.

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