Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the Call of Duty video game series, has died aged 55.
The head of the video game developer Respawn Entertainment and the co-founder of Infinity Ward was killed in a car crash in California, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Zampella led the creation of the bestselling video game series Call of Duty at Infinity Ward, and at his various studios he was involved in several highly successful game series from Medal of Honor to Titanfall.
He is reported to have died in a single-car accident on the Angeles Crest Highway, which was reported to the California highway patrol at 12.45pm on Sunday. The vehicle’s driver died at the scene, and a passenger died later in hospital.
Zampella began his career in video games in the mid-1990s. Most recently, he had been promoted to head of the Battlefield military shooter series of video games at EA Games – Battlefield 6 was released in October to critical acclaim.
Previously, in 2010, he founded Respawn Entertainment under EA, which created the Titanfall series of mech shooters and the popular multiplayer game Apex Legends.
Zampella is best known for his time in the 2000s at Infinity Ward, a studio he co-founded with Grant Collier and Jason West in 2002. There, he co-created the Call of Duty video game series and some of its most acclaimed entries, including Modern Warfare (2007) and Modern Warfare 2 (2009).
The Call of Duty games have gone on to sell more than 500m copies. In 2010, he was involved with other former Infinity Ward staff in a lawsuit against the series’ publisher, Activision, over unpaid royalties.
In a statement on Monday night, EA said: “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.”
