The gaming world woke up to shocking and heartbreaking news: Vince Zampella, the creative force behind some of the biggest video games ever made, has died in a car crash in California at the age of 55. According to a BBC report, the accident happened on a Los Angeles-area highway on Sunday, leaving both the driver and passenger dead. The Call of Duty franchise also acknowledged his death in a post on X (formerly Twitter), paying tribute to the man who helped shape the iconic series. What happened in the crash Vince Zampella and another person were riding in a Ferrari on a highway north of Los Angeles when the car suddenly veered off the road, hit a concrete barrier, and burst into flames, the California Highway Patrol told the BBC. Officials are still investigating exactly what caused the accident. Who Vince Zampella was Vince Zampella was one of the most influential video game designers of his generation. Co-creator of Call of Duty (2003), Alongside Jason West and Grant Collier, Zampella helped launch Call of Duty, a game that has since sold over 500 million copies worldwide and reshaped first-person shooters forever. He also played key roles in creating and shaping these major games and franchises: These titles made him a name known to millions of players around the world. His net worth
Vince Zampella had an estimated net worth of around $40 million, built over two decades in the video game industry. He earned most of his wealth through leadership roles at Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, the studios behind blockbuster titles like Call of Duty, Titanfall, and Apex Legends. Zampella was also involved in a high-profile legal battle with Call of Duty publisher Activision over unpaid bonuses and royalties.
According to the case, Zampella and his co-founder Jason West were owed nearly $27 million for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 alone, significantly adding to his overall net worth.
A career of influence Zampella didn’t just build games, he helped build entire gaming communities. His work focused on: Tributes from the ndustry Many studios and colleagues shared memories and praise after the news broke: “This is an unimaginable loss … Vince’s influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching.”
— Electronic Arts (to the BBC) Infinity Ward, the studio behind Call of Duty, said Zampella will “always have a special place in our history. Fans, developers and players across the globe are mourning a visionary whose work helped define modern gaming.
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