Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella killed in car crash

Vince Zampella, CEO of Respawn Entertainment and Call of Duty co-creator, tragically dies aged 55

Vince Zampella, the CEO of Respawn Entertainment and former CEO of Infinity Ward, died in a car crash in Southern California on Sunday afternoon. The prolific video game developer was travelling in a Ferrari with another passenger when the vehicle crashed and caught fire. Both Zampella and the passenger died as a result of the crash.

Vince Zampella is a titan of the video game industry. He co-created the Call of Duty franchise, which remains one of the industry’s largest franchises. After his time at Infinity Ward, Vince Zampella and Jason West founded Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. EA acquired Respawn Entertainment in 2017. In 2021, EA put Vince in charge of the Battlefield franchise, leading to the eventual release of Battlefield 6.

Below is what Respawn Entertainment had to say following Zampella’s passing.

We're heartbroken by the passing of our founder and dear friend Vince Zampella.

Vince was a titan and legend of this industry, a visionary leader and a force who shaped teams and games like Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, the Star Wars Jedi series and Battlefield for our… pic.twitter.com/L51gG9tbRo

— Respawn (@Respawn) December 22, 2025

The impact that Vince Zampella has had on the gaming industry cannot be understated. Call of Duty is an industry juggernaut. Furthermore, his last Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 2 (the original Modern Warfare 2), is arguably the best game in the series. Respawn Entertainment has also been responsible for most of EA’s best games over the last decade. Battlefield 6 is a massive success, and Zampella played a huge role in that success. He was undeniably an industry icon, and he will be missed.

Rest in peace Vince, and thank you for all the great games.