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Call of Duty creator Vince Zampella dies in car crash in LA

Published 09:14 23 Dec 2025 GMT

Updated 09:14 23 Dec 2025 GMT

Erin McLaughlin
Call of Duty creator Vince Zampella dies in car crash in LA

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A Ferrari veered off Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway

Video game mastermind Vince Zampella died in a car crash on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles, California.

The 55-year-old was driving a Ferrari when it veered off Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway at around 12.45 pm and hit a concrete barrier, per NBC Los Angeles.

According to reports, a passenger was thrown from the vehicle, while the driver became trapped when the car caught fire.

It has been reported that the driver died at the scene and the passenger died in the hospital. It remains unclear whether Zampella (55) was the driver or the passenger.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.

Zempella (55), who created the Call of Duty franchise, was the former CEO of video game developers Infinity Ward.

COD is famously one of the biggest gaming franchises ever and has sold over 500 million copies.

He later became the head of Respawn Entertainment, which EA owns.

Zampella also oversaw the release of Battlefield 6 for EA Games in October, a launch that received widespread critical acclaim.

The co-creator of video game Fortnite, Donald Mustard, shared that he was ‘absolutely heartbroken’ by Zampella’s death.

He added: "Vince Zampella created and led so much incredible entertainment and innovation in games over his legendary life.

"My tears and condolences to his dear family, his friends, and his colleagues.

"So grateful I got to see him last week. So grateful for the hugs and stories we shared," per Metro.

Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway, where the incident took place, spans 65 miles (105km) and is described as a 'scenic byway'.

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Call of Duty creator Vince Zampella dies in car crash in LA