Los Angeles: Vince Zampella, the influential video game developer who played a pivotal role in shaping the modern first-person shooter genre and co-created the globally successful Call of Duty franchise, has died at the age of 55.
Video game publisher Electronic Arts (EA) confirmed Zampella’s death on Sunday. While the company initially did not disclose the cause, local media later reported that he was killed in a single-vehicle car accident in Los Angeles. One other person also died in the crash. No further details were immediately released.
Zampella was widely regarded as one of the most important creative forces in the video game industry. He was a co-founder and former chief executive of Infinity Ward, the studio behind the original Call of Duty series. The franchise debuted in 2003 as a World War II-themed shooter and went on to become one of the most commercially successful entertainment properties in history, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide. Later editions expanded into modern and futuristic warfare and a live-action film adaptation is currently in production.
In 2010, Zampella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, which quickly earned acclaim for the Titanfall series. The studio later achieved massive global success with Apex Legends, one of the most-played battle royale shooter games in the world. Respawn was subsequently acquired by Electronic Arts, where Zampella continued to hold senior leadership roles across the company’s shooter portfolio.