Vince Zampella
Vince Zampella was a video game developer and executive who co-founded Infinity WardInfinity WardInfinity Ward is an American video game developer founded in 2002 by developers who had worked on Medal of Honor Allied Assault. Wholly acquired by Activision in 2003, it developed the first Call of Duty and games in the Modern Warfare series; the dismissal of its founders in 2010 led to several lawsuits, settled in 2012.Open the full entry, the studio behind the Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game series published by Activision. Its first game, developed by Infinity Ward, was released for PC in 2003; studios including Infinity Ward and Treyarch have since taken turns developing annual releases, and the series has expanded into Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Mobile. In October 2023 the series came under Microsoft’s ownership with Activision Blizzard.Open the full entry series, and Respawn Entertainment, maker of games including Titanfall and Apex Legends, and later ran the Battlefield series at Electronic Arts; he died in a car crash in December 2025.
Contents16 sections
Key facts
2002Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
Zampella and Jason WestJason West (game developer)Jason West is a video game developer, one of the co-founders of the video game studios Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, and a former project lead on Call of Duty.Open the full entry were the lead designers of the 2002 game Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.[1]
2002–2009Co-Founds and Leads Infinity Ward
In 2002 he co-founded Infinity Ward with West and Grant CollierGrant CollierGrant Collier is one of the co-founders and the early president of the video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio that developed the early games of the Call of Duty series.Open the full entry; the studio launched the Call of Duty series in 2003, and under his leadership Infinity Ward released four Call of Duty games, including Modern Warfare.[2]
October 2009On the Making of Modern Warfare
Zampella, then Infinity Ward’s chief creative officer, said Activision initially “did not want Modern Warfare,” seeing a modern setting as risky.[3]
March 2010Fired by Activision and Sues
On March 1, 2010, Activision said it was concluding an internal human resources inquiry into “breaches of contract and insubordination” by two senior employees, West and Zampella. The two then sued Activision for $36 million, saying the investigation was pre-ordained to avoid paying their bonuses.[4]
April 12, 2010Founds Respawn Entertainment
Zampella and West announced Respawn Entertainment, working with Electronic Arts through its EA Partners business while retaining the intellectual property rights to their games; Zampella said owning the intellectual property was the best way to protect the quality of their work.[5]
May 31, 2012Settlement with Activision
Zampella and West settled their lawsuit with Activision on confidential terms; their claim had grown to $1 billion, Activision’s countersuit had named EA as a defendant, and all three related lawsuits were dismissed.[6]
2013Titanfall Wins Six Game Critics Awards
Titanfall, developed by Respawn and published by EA, won six 2013 Game Critics Awards: Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best Console Game, Best PC Game, Best Action Game and Best Online Multiplayer.[7]
2017Respawn Acquired by Electronic Arts
Chatsworth-based Respawn Entertainment was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017.[8]
2021Takes Charge of Battlefield
In 2021, Electronic Arts put Zampella in charge of the Battlefield franchise.[2]
He became the overall head of the Battlefield franchise in addition to his existing managerial responsibilities at Respawn, while DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson announced he was leaving the company.[9]
January 25, 2022Leads the Lucasfilm Games Partnership
Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm Games announced new Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is a space-fantasy film and entertainment franchise created by George Lucas and now owned by Lucasfilm, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.Open the full entry games from Respawn; Zampella, Group GM and founder of Respawn, would oversee this new phase of the relationship and said the team were huge fans of Star Wars.[10]
October 2025Battlefield 6 Launches
On October 10, 2025, Battlefield 6’s launch day, some players could not access the game on the EA app; Zampella, as head of the series, called the situation “Honestly embarrassing” and said everyone was being pushed to fix it.[11]
The game sold more than 7 million copies in its first three days.[12]
On Circana’s tracked platforms, Battlefield 6 was the best-selling game of 2025 in the US, the first time the series outsold Call of Duty for a year.[13]
December 21, 2025Dies in a Car Crash
A 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS driven by Zampella veered off a road in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles just after exiting a tunnel, hit a concrete barrier and caught fire; he was trapped and died at the scene, and a passenger who was ejected later died at a hospital.[14]
Electronic Arts called his death “an unimaginable loss” in a statement and said his influence on the video game industry was profound.[8]
February 11, 2026D.I.C.E. Summit Tribute
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences held a session honoring Zampella at the D.I.C.E. Summit, with Geoff Keighley, Phil Spencer, Todd Howard and Laura Miele as speakers.[15]
April 21, 2026Cause of Death Released
The medical examiner’s report found that Zampella died from thermal injuries and smoke inhalation, with blunt trauma listed as another significant condition.[14]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Infinity Ward: Official website: https://www.infinityward.com/ (opens in a new window)[16]
Respawn Entertainment: Official website: https://www.respawn.com/ (opens in a new window)[17]
Electronic Arts: Official website: https://www.ea.com/ (opens in a new window)[18]
Sources
- Why 2002 Was Possibly the Most Important Year in Video Gaming History (opens in a new window)
- Vince Zampella, 'Call of Duty' Creator, Dies at 55 in Car Accident (opens in a new window)
- ‘Activision did not want Modern Warfare’ – Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- The Modern Warfare Fight: Your Guide to Activision Vs. Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- Respawn Entertainment announced by ex-IW heads, partnering with EA (opens in a new window)
- West, Zampella settle with Activision in Infinity Ward lawsuit [Update: Acti, Respawn, EA comment] (opens in a new window)
- Game Critics Awards (opens in a new window)
- Vince Zampella, video game developer behind 'Call of Duty,' killed in Ferrari crash (opens in a new window)
- Battlefield Franchise Undergoes Major Shake-Up (opens in a new window)
- Electronic Arts & Lucasfilm Games announce new Star Wars titles from Respawn Entertainment (opens in a new window)
- As EA app blocks Battlefield 6 owners from playing by charging for imaginary DLC, series boss Vince Zampella says it's "honestly embarrassing" and suggests you "refund and buy on Steam" (opens in a new window)
- Battlefield 6 Demolishes Series Records, Sells Over 7 Million Copies in First Three Days (opens in a new window)
- Battlefield outsold Call of Duty for the first time ever last year, as Black Ops 7 dropped to 5th place (opens in a new window)
- Cause of death revealed for 'Call of Duty' creator Vince Zampella in Ferrari crash (opens in a new window)
- 2026 D.I.C.E. Summit Schedule (opens in a new window)
- Infinity Ward (opens in a new window)
- Respawn Entertainment (opens in a new window)
- News (opens in a new window)