Video game pioneer behind Call of Duty, dies at 55
Vince Zampella, one of the creators of best-selling video games such as Call of Duty, has passed away. He was 55 years old.
Video game company Electronic Arts said Zampella died on Sunday. The company did not disclose the cause of death.
In 2010, Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment, a subsidiary of EA, and was also the former general manager of video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio behind the successful Call of Duty series.
A spokesperson for Electronic Arts said in a statement Monday that Zampella’s impact on the video game industry is “profound and far-reaching.”
“A friend, colleague, leader, and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of gamers and developers around the world. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come,” a company spokesperson wrote.
One of Zampella’s greatest achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty series, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide.
The first-person shooter game was released in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.
Subsequent versions have dealt with modern warfare, and there is a live-action film based on the game in development with Paramount Pictures.
In recent years, Zampella oversaw the creation of the action-adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
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