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In a jarring blow to the video game industry, Vince Zampella — one of the architects behind the Call of Duty franchise — was killed Sunday in a single-car crash on Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway, according to NBC4.
The 55-year-old gaming titan, whose work helped define modern first-person shooters, died in the fiery crash alongside a passenger, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The vehicle reportedly swerved off the winding mountain road at around 12:45 p.m., struck a concrete barrier and burst into flames a it travelled southbound. The highway road is one of the highest in California, with some sections reaching higher than 7,000 feet.
The driver became stuck in the fiery car after it crashed and died on the scene. The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died later at the hospital.
Zampella’s passing reverberated across the gaming community and beyond — a stark reminder that even the creators of fantasy worlds and digital battles are not immune to real-world tragedy.
Zampella’s influence on gaming spans more than two decades. He first made his mark co-founding Infinity Ward in 2002, the studio that would go on to create Call of Duty — a franchise that has become a cultural and commercial powerhouse in the video game industry.
After departing Infinity Ward, he co-founded Respawn Entertainment in 2010, where he continued shaping blockbuster hits like the Titanfall series, Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Under his leadership, Respawn became a major force under the umbrella of Electronic Arts following its acquisition in 2017.
Investigators have not yet released a cause for the crash.