Vince Zampella, Former CEO of Infinity Ward and Founder of Respawn Entertainment, Dead at 55

Source of image: NBC News Los Angeles

On December 22 2025, Vince Zampella was killed in a car crash while on a drive on the Angeles Crest Highway in Los Angeles, California. Reports indicate that the crash was a single car crash where Zampella ended up being trapped underneath the car while it was on fire He was 55 years old.

Zampella was the co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise, and CEO of Infinity Ward from 2002 to 2010 when he founded Respawn Entertainment, which went on to produce Titanfall, Apex Legends, both of the Star Wars Jedi games (Fallen Order and Survivor), and most recently, Battlefield 6. In 2021, Zampella became the head of Battlefield EA and continued to be active in the community until his death.

Dennis Broad and Jonathan Lloyd of NBC News Los Angeles reported the following:

Quote From Dennis Broad and Jonathan Lloyd

Video game developer Vince Zampella, whose studios have created several of the world's best-selling games, was killed Sunday afternoon in a Ferrari crash on Southern California's Angeles Crest Highway, NBC4 Investigates has learned.

Zampella, an acclaimed figure in the video game industry, is the head of Respawn Entertainment. He is the former CEO video game developers Infinity Ward, the studio behind the successful Call of Duty franchise.

The single-car crash was reported at about 12:45 p.m. on the scenic road north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains. The southbound car veered off the road, hit a concrete barrier and a passenger was ejected, the California Highway Patrol said.

The driver was trapped in the ensuing car fire, the CHP said. The driver died at the scene and the passenger died at a hospital, authorities told NBC4 Investigates.

Details about what led to the crash off the winding forest road overlooking Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley were not immediately available. A witness provided video of the crash involving a 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS to authorities.

The six-figure mid-engine sports car powered by a hybrid twin-turbo V-6 is capable of 819-plus horsepower.

Zampella, 55, co-founded Chatsworth-based Respawn Entertainment in 2010. The studio was acquired by video game giant EA in 2017. Respawn Entertainment is best known for the video games Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends and STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order.

Zampella also led an EA studio team based in Playa Vista behind the Battlefield video game franchise.

NBCLA has reached out to Zampella's family for comment.

NBCLA also has reached out to Respawn Entertainment and EA for comment.