Vince Zampella, the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise and head of the Battlefield series at EA, has been tragically killed in a car crash in California on December 21, 2025. He was 55 years old.
According to reports that have emerged online, Zampella, who also co-founded Respawn Entertainment, was travelling in a Ferrari with another individual when it crashed and burst into flames. The person on the passenger seat was ejected by the impact of the crash, while the driver was trapped in the wreck. However, it remains unknown if Zampella was the driver or passenger .
Speaking in a statement to the BBC, the California Highway Patrol commented: “For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Electronic Arts added, “This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work.”
Zampella originally worked at EA between 1999 — 2002 on the Medal of Honour franchise, and founded Infinity Ward with Grant Collier and Jason West, where they turned to Activision to help set up the studio after being unsatisfied with their EA contract. Thus, Call of Duty was born, with Activision later acquiring Infinity Ward.
However, both West and Zampella were fired by Activision after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s release in 2009, and they went on to found Respawn. The studio was later acquired by EA, with Zampella later fronting DICE Los Angeles (later Ripple Effect Studios) and in 2021 was confirmed as heading up the Battlefield franchise.
[Source – BBC]