Vincent “Vince” Zampella, best known as the mastermind behind the Call of Duty franchise, built his legacy in the video game world. The late designer’s massive success contributed significantly to his high net worth, as he had influenced games that reshaped the core of multiplayer design.
Unfortunately, Zampella’s life was cut short. In December 2025, he died in a car crash at the age of 55, Electronic Arts — the parent company of his Respawn Entertainment — confirmed in a statement.
“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work,” the company’s statement read. “Vince’s influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching.”
We’re heartbroken by the passing of our founder and dear friend Vince Zampella.
Vince was a titan and legend of this industry, a visionary leader and a force who shaped teams and games like Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, the Star Wars Jedi series and Battlefield for our… pic.twitter.com/L51gG9tbRo
— Respawn (@Respawn) December 22, 2025
Calling him a “friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator,” Electronic Arts credited Zampella’s work for helping “shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
Learn about Zampella’s career, legacy, net worth and more below.
Zampella’s Infinity Ward released the first Call of Duty title in 2003, published by Activision. The game was a huge success, and Zampella led the release of multiple Call of Duty spinoffs, including Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The franchise is partly inspired by World War II.
