Vince Zampella, Co-Creator of Call of Duty Franchise, Dead at 55

Vince Zampella, who helped create the Call of Duty franchise and co-founded multiple influential game studios, has died at age 55, according to Electronic Arts. The company announced his death Monday but did not disclose a cause.

NBC Los Angeles reported that Zampella died in a car crash Sunday afternoon on the Angeles Crest Highway. The California Highway Patrol said it responded to a crash on that highway at 12:43 p.m. Sunday, and that the driver and a passenger both died. The CHP did not release names, citing notification of next of kin. The crash occurred in unincorporated Los Angeles County.

Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward, the studio behind the original Call of Duty in 2003. The franchise has since become one of the best-selling in video game history, with the latest installment, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, releasing in November. He later co-founded Respawn Entertainment, which created the Titanfall series. EA acquired Respawn in 2017.

Most recently, Zampella led the team at DICE LA, part of the studio behind the Battlefield franchise. Battlefield 6 was released in October.

In a statement, EA called Zampella "a visionary whose work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world." The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, where Zampella served on the board of directors, said it was "heartbroken" by the news.