Some sad news to report just days before Christmas as Vince Zampella, the founder of Infinity Ward and current head of the Battlefield franchise has been killed after a car accident on Sunday afternoon.
First reported by NBC Los Angeles, the crash took place on the Angeles Crest Highway in California.
According to the California Highway Patrol, via TMZ, Zampella was involved in a single-vehicle accident around 12:45pm Sunday. Two people were in the vehicle at the time with both sadly passing away.
Zampella was reportedly driving the car when it veered off the road, striking a concrete barrier. After the crash, which ejected the passenger, a fire began that had Zampella trapped. The passenger, whose identity is unknown, died at the hospital.
Zampella, who has been in charge of the Battlefield franchise since 2021, is best known for being a founder of legendary studios Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment. While at Infinity Ward, Zampella helped create the Call of Duty franchise. After leaving Infinity Ward in 2010, he went on the found Respawn where they developed games like Titanfall before being acquired by Electronic Arts (EA). After the EA acquisition, the studio released games like the Star Wars Jedi series and Apex Legends.
In a statement released on Monday, EA called his loss “unimaginable” and that his influence on the industry was “profound and far-reaching”.
“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work,” the company said. “Vince’s influence on the video game industry was profound and far-reaching. A friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
Zampella was 55 years old and leaves behind three children. Our condolences go out to the family and friends of Vince Zampella.
The official Battlefield team has also released a statement on Zampella’s passing:
We are heartbroken by the loss of Vince Zampella, a creative leader whose work shaped generations of players and helped define what modern shooters and action games could be.
Across a remarkable career, Vince played a foundational role in franchises including Call of Duty, Titanfall, Apex Legends, and the Star Wars Jedi series.
During his time guiding Battlefield, he led with care and purpose, always grounding decisions in what mattered most to the community and the long-term future of the franchise. While his impact reached far beyond any one game or studio, we will remember Vince for how he showed up every day, trusting his teams, encouraging bold ideas, and believing in Battlefield and the people building it.
We are deeply grateful for his leadership, his generosity, and the care he brought to everything he touched, and we will carry that forward with us.
The story has been updated with statements from EA and the Battlefield team.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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Damn, that’s rough timing with the holidays. Rest in peace champ, thank you for all the work you did for gaming.
RIP Vince. Loved your games my dude.