The co-creator of the ‘Call of Duty’ video game series, Vince ZampellaHe died in a car accident in California at the age of 55.
His death was confirmed by Electronic Arts, owner of Respawn Entertainment, a studio he co-founded.
Zampella was traveling in a Ferrari with another person when the vehicle crashed and caught fire on a Los Angeles highway on Sunday. Both occupants of the vehicle died.
“This is an unimaginable loss and our hearts go out to Vince’s family, his loved ones and all those affected by his work,” an Electronic Arts spokesperson said.
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Authorities said the passenger was ejected from the vehicle, while the driver was trapped inside. It is unclear if Zampella was driving or who the second occupant was.
“For unknown reasons, the vehicle left the roadway, struck a concrete barrier and became completely submerged,” the California Highway Patrol said in a statement.
Zampella co-created Call of Duty in 2003 with Jason West and Grant Collier. Inspired in part by the events of World War II, the franchise has sold more than 500 million copies and has become one of the most successful video game series in the world.
Beyond Call of Duty, Zampella was also involved in the development of Medal of Honor, Titanfall, and Apex Legends.
“He really cared about the player experience, he cared about making games, he cared about how people felt when they played, and that really came through every time you talked to him,” said Keza MacDonald, games editor at The Guardian.
In 2010, Zampella and West were fired from Activision, the publisher of Call of Duty, leading to a legal dispute that was settled out of court in 2012.
At Electronic Arts, Zampella later worked on Battlefield 6, a Call of Duty competitor.
Infinity Ward, the studio behind Call of Duty, said Zampella “will always have a special place in our history.”
“His legacy of creating iconic and enduring entertainment is immeasurable,” the company said in a statement on X.
(BBC)