Vince Zampella, Call of Duty Creator and Head of Respawn, Dies From Fatal Car Crash
As we’re about to close of 2025, a tragedy has befallen the video game industry as Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise, has been killed in a car crash at the age of 55.
Zampella and an unknown individual in the car with him had just exited a tunnel on the winding two-lane road when his Ferrari slammed into a concrete barrier and caught fire.
The identity of his passenger is currently unknown.
Zampella Dead in Fatal Car Crash
The NBC report states that the crash was reported at about 12:45 pm on a road north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Zampella was said to be trapped in the car fire as he perished on the scene, while his passenger was ejected from the car and died at the hospital. Details about what led to the crash off the winding forest road were not available, though a witness provided a video of the crash, which confirmed Zampella was driving a red 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS.
EA released a statement about the crash, stating, “This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work,” EA said in the statement. “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.”
Aside from being the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise along with Jason West, Zampella was also the CEO and head of Respawn Entertainment (Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi), and since 2021, has also been tapped to oversee the entire Battlefield franchise for EA.
Speaking of which, following the missteps from DICE, fans looked to Zampella to “save” the Battlefield franchise, which he did with the triumphant release and reception of Battlefield 6.
We here at MP1st wish to extend our condolences to Zampella’s family.
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That is really devastating. He was actually a really great person and anything he was attached to you know would be fun and interesting.
Please, if you ever get into a situation where you can drive a really fast car, don’t drive like an idiot and speed just because you can… Especially in the hills of California. Those turns are killer. I also feel horrible for the family of the passenger who died.
This is literally Paul Walker all over again. Just gutted thinking about the lives we’ve lost because people feel they need to drive fast.