The word legend is thrown around a lot in our industry, but no one can doubt it applies to Vince Zampella. The 55-year-old died Sunday in a fiery crash on Southern California's Angeles Crest Highway, as reported by NBC 5 Los Angeles. As one of the founders of Infinity Ward, Zampella created Call of Duty, one of the most enduring franchises in all of gaming.
COD is the standard that other military shooters are measured by, racking up millions in sales annually. After leaving Infinity Ward, he co-founded a new venture, Respawn Entertainment. There, he gave us Titanfall, a game that redefined "killstreaks" in shooters with the question: What if you could earn a 50-foot robot as a reward?
I was fortunate enough to be at E3 when Titanfall was unveiled, and the wait for a game has never felt quite as long. The dance between small, agile pilots and giant, hulking battle mechs was everything I hoped it would be.
Titanfall spawned two games and then Apex Legends, a battle royale set in that game's universe. Apex was a huge, surprising pivot for a franchise I thought lay dormant. Respawn is also responsible for the Jedi Survivor series, some of the best Star Wars games that have ever been done.
At the time of his death, Zampella was the head of the Battlefield franchise, a position he had held since 2021. Under his leadership, Battlefield 6 has been the best-received installment in years, selling more than 7 million copies in its first three days on the market.
Only a handful of creators can say they revolutionized the game. Zampella did it time and again. Every shooter that came after Call of Duty is compared to it, and let's be honest, most don't measure up. App Trigger sends its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and co-workers.