Vince Zampella, the co-founder of the Call of Duty video game series, has died at age 55 after reportedly crashing his Ferrari in California. The crash occurred on Angeles Crest Highway in the mountains north of Los Angeles, according to local broadcaster NBC4.
The Ferrari had just exited a tunnel on the winding road when it hit a concrete barrier and caught fire, killing both Mr Zampella and a passenger. The California Highway Patrol confirmed the details of the crash but withheld the names of the deceased. It is currently unknown whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.
Mr Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward in 2002 and helped launch the Call of Duty franchise in 2003, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide. He later founded Respawn Entertainment in 2010, creating best-selling titles such as Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi games.
Most recently, Mr Zampella worked for the Battlefield franchise at EA, where he took charge of revitalizing the series. Battlefield confirmed his death on Instagram, stating the team was heartbroken by their loss. In October, he had thanked the Battlefield community on X, saying their journey together was just getting started.
