Vince Zampella, one of the most influential figures in modern shooter history and a key name behind Call of Duty and Titanfall, has died at the age of 55. According to the report, Zampella was killed in a car crash on December 22.
Zampella’s impact on the industry is difficult to overstate. He is widely credited as a co-creator of Call of Duty and was a founding force behind Infinity Ward, the studio that helped define the series’ early identity and set new expectations for cinematic first-person shooters.
### From Infinity Ward to Respawn Entertainment
After his time at Infinity Ward, Zampella went on to co-found Respawn Entertainment, the developer behind Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Respawn quickly became one of the most closely watched studios of the 2010s, earning a reputation for tight gunplay, inventive movement systems, and high production values across both competitive and story-driven releases.
### A Leadership Role Over Battlefield
Beyond his work as a studio founder, Zampella also took on a major leadership position within Electronic Arts, overseeing the Battlefield franchise in more recent years. Battlefield has been in a transitional period following Battlefield 2042, and Zampella’s role signaled EA’s push to stabilize and reshape the series’ future direction.
Respawn Entertainment acknowledged the news in a public statement, writing: “We’re heartbroken by the passing of our founder and dear friend Vince Zampella. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who love him.”
Zampella’s passing lands as a genuine shock for players and developers alike, not only because of his résumé, but because his fingerprints are on multiple generations of blockbuster shooter design—from Call of Duty’s early rise to the ongoing dominance of live-service hits like Apex Legends. For EA and the studios he helped shape, it raises difficult questions about leadership continuity at a time when the shooter market is more competitive and risk-averse than ever.
Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/call-of-duty-co-creator-infinity-ward-and-respawn-entertainment-co-founder-and-battlefield-head-vince-zampella-dies-aged-55