Vince Zampella, one of the most recognizable names in first-person shooter video games, died today in a fiery accident that saw the Ferrari he was driving crash into a concrete barrier on Angeles Crest Highway in the mountains north of Los Angeles. An unnamed passenger was ejected from the vehicle on impact and also died later on at the hospital.

Who Was Vince Zampella?

Zampella, 55, was well-known for the big impact he had on massive first-person shooter titles. He co-founded Infinity Ward and was the lead developer on Medal of Honor when that series was at its height. After its deal with EA to keep making Medal of Honor fell through, Zampella and Infinity Ward made a little game you might have heard of called Call of Duty. He remained as the head of the studio until after the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

Following an ugly breakup with Activision that saw him fired from Infinity Ward, Zampella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, where he developed both Titanfall games. Later down the road, EA acquired the studio, where Zampella stayed on to lead the team through the development of Apex Legends and both Star Wars: Fallen Order and Survivor.

After the less-than-enthusiastic release of Battlefield 2042, Zampella was named the head of Ripple Effect Studios and the management of Battlefield overall. Of course, Battlefield 6 was released earlier in 2025 and has been a resounding success.

Vince Zampella’s work on so many beloved and memorable video games went on to capture the attention of millions of players for decades. From Medal of Honor to the juggernaut that is Call of Duty, and then the established longevity of Apex Legends, Zampella left his fingerprints all over the first-person shooter genre.