Vince Zampella, the creator of the wildly successful Call of Duty video game series, passed away in a car crash in California at the age of 55, according to Electronic Arts, the studio’s parent company.
Zampella’s death, according to the company, was confirmed by reports on Monday that the developer and executive had been killed in a car accident the day before.
The statement stated that “Vince had a significant and profound impact on the video game industry.”
His work, which he described as a friend, coworker, leader, and visionary creator, contributed to the development of contemporary interactive media and inspired millions of players and developers all over the world.
On Sunday afternoon, Zampella and a passenger were killed when his Ferrari collided on Southern California’s picturesque Angeles Crest Highway, according to local broadcaster NBC4.
Without naming the two victims, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement that “for unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the road, struck a concrete barrier, and completely engulfed.”
The crash and its aftermath, in which the car’s mangled wreckage was engulfed in flames, were captured on video and posted on social media.
a long list of successes
Zampella is most well known for co-creating the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide and has more than 100 million active players each month.
Before Activision bought the studio, Zampella cofounded the Infinity Ward studio in the 1990s as a designer of shooter games. In 2002, he also assisted in the launch of Call of Duty.
Before being bought by Electronic Arts seven years later, he later left Activision and founded Respawn, the studio that produced Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi games.
He became a key figure in contemporary first-person shooter games as he led the revitalization of the Battlefield series, which was a direct competitor to Call of Duty. Battlefield 6 set a new franchise record this year for sales.
“Gamer at heart”
Respawn called Zampella “a titan and legend of this industry, a visionary leader, and a force who shaped teams and games in ways that will be felt for generations” in a statement.
It stated that “His impact extended far beyond any one game or studio.”
In a social media post, Geoff Keighley, a journalist and co-creator of The Game Awards, described Zampella as “an extraordinary person.”
Zampella described himself as a “gamer at heart,” but also as “a visionary executive with a rare ability to recognize talent and empower people to create something truly great.”
Keighley remarked, “While he created some of the most influential games of our time, I always believed that he still had the greatest game in store for him.”
Source: Aljazeera
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