One of the creators of the famous game “Call of Duty”, Vince Zampella died at the age of 55 in a road accident in the United States, Electronic Arts (EA) announced on Tuesday. The tragedy occurred Sunday while Zampella was driving a Ferrari on a road north of Los Angeles, according to NBC4.
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Footage circulating on social media shows the moment the Ferrari leaves the track, hits a concrete wall and catches fire.
According to the California Highway Patrol, “for unknown reasons, the vehicle left the roadway, collided with a concrete barrier” and caught fire. According to the note, the driver and passenger, ejected from the vehicle, died from their injuries.
Witnesses also posted a video on social media showing the red Ferrari destroyed after the collision. The causes of the accident are still under investigation.
Zampella was considered one of the main pioneers of the first-person shooter genre. Its studios have created some of the world’s best-selling video games, with a lasting impact on the industry.
This year, the game “Battlefield 6” set a new sales record for the franchise. The mass fighting title has over 100 million players over the past two decades, considering its different versions. This significant number is not unprecedented in Zampella’s career: to date, “Call of Duty” has more than 100 million monthly active players.
“You dream of the game being popular, but I think we’re never really prepared for that level of success,” Zampella told IGN in a 2016 interview.
Zampella was known as the co-creator of the “Call of Duty” franchise and founder of Respawn Entertainment, the studio responsible for titles such as “Titanfall,” “Apex Legends” and “Star Wars Jedi.”
He began his career in the 1990s as a shooter designer, and in 2002 co-founded Infinity Ward, launching “Call of Duty” the following year. A few years later, Activision bought the studio. Zampella left the company amid controversy and, in 2010, founded Respawn Entertainment, which was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017.
At EA, he played a pivotal role in revitalizing the “Battlefield” franchise, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential figures in the first-person shooter industry.
“This is an unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and everyone who has been touched by his work,” Electronic Arts said in a statement. “Vince’s influence on the video game industry has been deep and far-reaching. His work has helped shape modern interactive entertainment,” the company added.
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