Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty, founder of Respawn Entertainment and head of EA's Battlefield franchise, died in a car accident on December 22. He was 55 years old.
“We are heartbroken by the passing of our founder and dear friend Vince Zampella,” Respawn Entertainment said in a statement on Twitter. “Our hearts are with his family, friends and everyone who loves him.”
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Zampella's earliest known job was as a producer at GameTek, but he rose to prominence when he joined 2015, Inc., serving as director of development for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. The World War II shooter, created in collaboration with Steven Spielberg, was a huge success, and EA tried to bring the development team on board. Instead of absorbing EA and working on the publisher's series, Zampella and fellow developers Jason West and Grant Collier left 2015, Inc. and formed Infinity Ward.
With the support of Activision, the studio began work on a project with a very difficult code name: “Medal Of Honor Killer”..
Released in 2003, just a year after Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Call of Duty became an instant hit. Under Zampella's leadership, who served as both studio head and producer, the series continued to grow and the studio became a valuable cornerstone of Activision.
After release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009, Activision fired Zampella and fellow Infinity Ward founder Jason West. citing breach of contract. Zampella and West sued Activision over unpaid royalties and subsequent years of lawsuits and counterclaims. the publisher settled with the founders in 2012.
At that time, Zampella and West founded Respawn Entertainment with their old enemy EA. Zampella remained in the studio until 2020, overseeing the album's release. Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Orderand a return to Medal of Honor with the title VR Medal of Honor: Beyond and Beyond.
In 2020, Zampella rose to EA. headed the DICE branch in Los Angeles. Then in 2021 he took over the Battlefield series. Under his leadership, the series has seen its biggest launch to date and looks set to go head-to-head with Call of Duty in player numbers.
To look only at a man's career is inevitably to capture only a small portion of the impact he had on the world, leaving nothing to his family and friends, but there are several parts of modern gaming that have not been touched in any way by the games Zampella created, either in response to them or as a reaction to them. His loss will be felt by many.
“This is an unimaginable loss and our hearts go out to Vince's family, his loved ones and everyone touched by his work.” EA wrote in a statement. “Vince’s influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching. His work as a friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator has helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of gamers and developers around the world. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players interact for generations to come.”
