Vince Zampella, a driving force behind some of the most influential shooters in gaming, died at 55 in a single-car crash in Southern California Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Electronic Arts, which owns his studio Respawn Entertainment, confirmed his death Monday, calling it "an unimaginable loss" and saying his impact on the video game world was "profound and far-reaching." Zampella was one of two people killed Sunday afternoon on Angeles Crest Highway, according to the California Highway Patrol. Investigators say a southbound vehicle left the road for unknown reasons, hit a concrete barrier, and caught fire; the passenger was thrown from the car, while the driver was trapped. Both died at the scene. The car involved was a Ferrari, KTLA reports. TMZ obtained video of the crash, and reports that the vehicle appeared to be speeding.
Zampella helped remake the landscape of modern gaming. In 2002 he co-founded Infinity Ward, the studio behind the original Call of Duty, which debuted in 2003 and has since grown into one of the industry's most commercially dominant and enduring franchises. After a bitter fallout with publisher Activision, which had acquired Infinity Ward, he and fellow co-founder Jason West launched Respawn Entertainment in 2010. Under Zampella's leadership, Respawn produced the Titanfall series, the hit battle royale Apex Legends, and the narrative-driven Star Wars Jedi games Fallen Order and Survivor. Respawn also developed Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond.
Beyond Respawn, Zampella ran the Los Angeles arm of Battlefield maker DICE, which was rebranded Ripple Effect Studios in 2021, and was tapped to help guide the Battlefield franchise. EA described him as "a friend, colleague, leader, and visionary creator" whose work "inspired millions of players and developers around the world" and said his influence will continue to shape how games are made and played "for generations to come." Zampella is survived by his three children: Quentin, 26; Kyle, 22; and Courtney, 19.
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