Who Is Vince Zampella? Bio, Games & Legacy of the Man Behind the Biggest FPS Franchises

Vince Zampella II (October 1, 1970–December 21, 2025) was an American video game creator. He was best known for co-founding Infinity Ward, leading Respawn Entertainment, and serving as CEO of Ripple Effect Studios.

Vince Zampella, 55, was engaged in a single-car accident on the picturesque Angeles Crest Highway around 12:45 p.m. According to reports, his 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS went off the road and collided with a concrete barrier before catching fire.

Zampella was stuck within the vehicle and died at the spot, while another passenger was ejected and later pronounced dead at the hospital. The California Highway Patrol is looking into the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether speed or other factors contributed to the occurrence.

Who is Vince Zampella?

Zampella was born on October 1, 1970. He had a youthful interest in video games, with Donkey Kong being his favourite. After an “unsuccessful” enrolment at Broward College (formerly Broward Community College) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Zampella dropped out and worked as a handyman for a while. A friend helped him get a position at GameTek, where he worked in customer support and game testing.

Career

He also worked with Panasonic Interactive Media/Ripcord Games and SegaSoft, where he met Jason West, with whom he eventually co-founded Infinity Ward alongside Grant Collier.

Zampella left Silicon Valley in September 1999 to work for 2015 Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. By 2001, he was the director of development at 2015 Inc. He worked there until 2002, when he was credited as the lead designer on the critically acclaimed Medal of Honour: Allied Assault. He maintained his Medal of Honour efforts.

Shortly after Infinity Ward was founded, Electronic Arts chose to bring Medal of Honor production in-house, and Infinity Ward signed a deal with Activision to create a new game dubbed “MOH Killer”. “MOH Killer” became Call of Duty, and Activision purchased Infinity Ward shortly after the game’s release. At the same time, Zampella and fellow IW employee Jason West agreed to long-term employment contracts with Activision.

Under Zampella and West’s direction, Infinity Ward published Call of Duty 2 (2005), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Activision sacked Zampella and Jason West months after Modern Warfare 2’s successful release, denying them “$36 million in bonuses and royalties they’d been expecting”.

That week, the pair sued Activision for wrongful firing, and a month later, they created Respawn Entertainment. During the years-long Activision lawsuit, Zampella and West sought $1 billion in damages from Activision, up from an initial $36 million. Other former IW employees have joined the lawsuit. Activision paid the other ex-employees $42 million in non-settlement, mid-trial payments in May 2012, and later settled with Zampella and West for an unknown amount in June of the same year.

West and Zampella founded Respawn in April 2010, and they secured a deal with Electronic Arts to release their next game. West departed Respawn in March 2013. The firm developed two Titanfall games before being bought by EA in November 2017. EA’s releases include Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (both 2019), and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023). In January 2020, EA announced that Zampella would lead DICE’s Los Angeles branch.

EA appointed Zampella to lead the Battlefield franchise in 2021, following the “challenging” launch of Battlefield 2042 and the resignation of Oskar Gabrielson, DICE’s general manager. DICE LA was rebranded Ripple Effect Studios in July of 2021.

Vince Zampella Games

• Call of Duty (2003)
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
• Titanfall (2014)
• Titanfall 2 (2016)
• Apex Legends (2019 – ongoing live service)
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (2019)
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)
• Battlefield 2042 (oversight role)
• Battlefield (next-gen titles) – ongoing development leadership

Personal Life

In his personal life, Zampella was married to Brigitte Zampella for 18 years, starting in the late 1990s and lasting through much of his climb in the gaming industry. The pair faced the hardships of his high-stakes work, but Brigitte filed for divorce in 2015, alleging irreconcilable differences.

The procedures in Los Angeles County underlined their amiable approach despite the breakup, as there was no prenuptial agreement in place under California’s community property laws. They had three children, two sons and a daughter, who were minors at the time the divorce was filed.

Brigitte sought primary physical custody and spousal maintenance, demonstrating the family’s concern for the children’s well-being among the changes. Details concerning the children, such as their names and present ages, have been kept confidential, demonstrating Zampella’s overall prudence with his children. This concentration on shielding his family from media scrutiny allowed him to preserve a sense of normalcy outside of his professional renown.

Vince Zampella Ferrari Crash

On December 21, 2025, Zampella died after the 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS he was driving went off the road and collided with a concrete barrier at high speed after entering a tunnel on the Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles. The truck eventually caught fire. A passenger in the vehicle was ejected and died. Zampella was 55.

Electronic Arts issued a statement describing Zampella as “a friend, colleague, leader, and visionary creator” with a “profound and far-reaching” impact on the video game industry. The Twitter feeds for Battlefield, Respawn, and Apex Legends all paid tribute to Zampella.

Infinity Ward issued a statement praising Zampella, stating that his “legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment was immeasurable” and extending condolences to his family and loved ones. Treyarch also issued a statement, saying, “We are very grieved by Vince Zampella’s unfortunate death. His reputation as a Call of Duty co-founder and industry superstar will be remembered forever.

Vince Zampella Net Worth

Vince Zampella was an American video game creator and designer who had a net worth of $40 million at the time of his death.

Social Media

Instagram: @vincezampella