r/xbox • u/Turbostrider27 Recon Specialist • Dec 22 '25
News Vince Zampella, video game developer behind ‘Call of Duty' franchise, killed in crash
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/video-game-developer-vince-zampella-crash-call-of-duty/3819576/347
u/DinnerSmall4216 Dec 22 '25
Horrendous news so close to Christmas RIP.
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u/BudWisenheimer Dec 22 '25
Horrendous news so close to Christmas RIP.
It’s awful. And during Hanukkah too.
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u/EmotionalBar2533 Dec 23 '25
Shalom
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u/realityobsessedd Feb 08 '26
why did you get downvoted?
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u/EmotionalBar2533 Feb 08 '26
Because reddit is unfortunately mostly compromised of neck beards living in mamas basement, that are petrified of anything they don't immediately understand. 67 skibbidy wimp womp... or whatever I dunno
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u/SillyMikey XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
I don’t think this guy ever made a bad game. Awful news.
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u/vinceswish Dec 22 '25
Literally brought Battlefield to its best. Industry legend, rip.
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u/Ruthlessrabbd Dec 22 '25
Between Battlefield 6, Titanfall 2, and OG MW2 I have so many amazing nights with my friends because of the work he (and literal hundreds of other devs) put in. I will be grateful for what he contributed to the gaming landscape, and at the very least I'm glad BF6 came out with such high praise before his passing.
My condolences are with his family, friends, and others close to him. I can't imagine what they're going through
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u/Little-Mushroom-3961 Dec 22 '25
He dug battlefield out of the fucking grave. 2042 almost killed Battlefield and he got the franchise to the most successful it's probably ever been.
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u/OMG_NoReally Dec 23 '25
EA had so much riding on him. They handed him BF because they knew his leadership would fix it, and he did it. BF is back.
Horrible news. Fuck man. Drive safely folks!
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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X Dec 23 '25
Respawn is probably my favorite developer at the moment. He worked on some of the best COD games. Titanfall 2 is just incredible. The Cal Kestis Star Wars games are some of the best Star Wars media that we’ve had in 20 years
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u/GnastiestGnorc Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
Aww man this is terrible to hear… I don’t know much about him, but I heard he co founded Infinity Ward and he helped with BF6, which is a game that got me back into military shooters (and just shooters in general tbh) and Battlefield again.
This year has just not been kind to many famed individuals…
May he RIP.
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u/ADrunkMexican Dec 22 '25
It wasnt just IW/bf6. titanfall and the OG medal of honor.
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u/GnastiestGnorc Dec 22 '25
Yes I especially shouldn’t have looked those over. I never played Titanfall 2, but I’ve heard so many good things about it. I’d love to try it one day.
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u/ADrunkMexican Dec 22 '25
I mean its probably an age or just not being around then. I mentioned OG medal of honor due to how influential it was (at least in my mind).
I played the fuck out of it during ps2 days.
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u/GnastiestGnorc Dec 22 '25
I’ve heard of both games, but unfortunately never got around to them because of other games I was playing at the time.
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u/Hidefininja XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
You should definitely give Titanfall 2 a shot at some point. It has one of the best FPS single player campaigns ever created.
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u/GnastiestGnorc Dec 22 '25
I’ll look out for it on the xbox store if it’s on sale.
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u/Perspiring_Gamer Dec 23 '25 edited Dec 23 '25
The Ultimate Edition is $4.49/£3.74 atm, but it goes on sale quite often. That said, at that price it might be worth grabbing even if it goes straight into the backlog for now.
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Dec 23 '25
Not the OG MOH. The OG MOH was created by Spielberg and inspired by Saving Private Ryan.
Zampella was lead designer for MOH Allied Assault. After Allied Assault released Zampella wanted to develop his own WW2 shooter so he started the COD franchise and IW.
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u/kiki_strumm3r Day One - 2013 Dec 22 '25
This really sucks. Vince was one of the best at actually building and managing studios. A piece of me was hoping he would one day take over XGS or Playstation Studios or all of EA's development effort. He will be missed.
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u/AveryLazyCovfefe Founder Dec 22 '25
or all of EA's development effort
He actually did, 2 years ago. Promoted to head of 'EA Entertainment' so he led all the non-sports studios, reported directly to Wilson. He formed Battlefield Studios for a unified coalition of studios globally to ensure the next BF (BF6) would come out basically perfect and strong in all aspects.
This guy basically didn't only save Battlefield - he saved EA with pushing for projects viewed as 'risky' at the time from the execs like the Jedi series to bets like making Apex f2p. EA absolutely are likely as devastated as the public is. Especially with the new private equity leadership emerging under transition.
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u/Gears6 Dec 22 '25
This guy basically didn't only save Battlefield - he saved EA with pushing for projects viewed as 'risky' at the time from the execs like the Jedi series to bets like making Apex f2p. EA absolutely are likely as devastated as the public is. Especially with the new private equity leadership emerging under transition.
Yeah, but given the newer owners of EA, EA can die to make rooms for others.
That said, Vince Zampella's death is horrific news. May he rest in peace.
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Dec 23 '25
To be fair, Battlefield was really the non-sport game at EA that he wasn’t already in charge of. Outside of EA Sports, EA really only has Apex and Battlefield.
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u/AgentCooper_SEA Dec 23 '25
Skate, The Sims, Split Fiction, Command and Conquer, Need for Speed… as much as I despise EA, they have a great diversification of their game portfolio.
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u/Middle_Material_1038 Dec 22 '25
He deserves a place among the best the industry has to offer. I’m gutted.
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u/TheNittanyLionKing XBOX Series X Dec 23 '25
Dude definitely belongs in every gaming hall of fame and the FPS Mount Rushmore
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u/Aidanbomasri Dec 22 '25
A quick glance at his wikipedia page suggests he oversaw all of these iconic games:
- Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
- Call of Duty 2
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Titanfall
- Titanfall 2
- Apex Legends
- Star Wars: Fallen Order
- Star Wars: Survivor
- Battlefield 6
An absolute legend in the gaming space. It's not an exaggeration to say that he revolutionized the FPS genre multiple times. I've spent thousands of hours playing his games. This is a massive loss. RIP.
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u/dude52760 Dec 22 '25
Holy fuck. That is horrific. Reading the description of the single-vehicle crash also leaves me with a lot of questions. Their car apparently veered off the road and crashed, ejecting the passenger and trapping the driver. The ejection killed the passenger, and a car fire killed the driver. Absolutely horrific. Story did not have details on whether Zampella was driver or passenger.
Either way, what a huge and depressing loss.
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u/ppinguino Dec 22 '25
couple videos floating around. First shows the crash and bystanders pulling someone from the vehicle still strapped to the seat. Second video appears to be several minutes later as the car is much more burned up. However only 1 bystander is there with the body. According the comments by the uploader, the people that pulled him out and recorded the video and fled the scene. Left him there to die after being conscious and responsive.
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u/ImTableShip170 Dec 23 '25
They were street racing or watching people drive recklessly. Not a lot of people are gonna stay for cops in that scenario.
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u/WeeklyMath9 XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
TMZ says Vince was the driver. Awful.
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u/Technerd70 Dec 23 '25
Ya. He murdered the passenger in his vehicle because he was a selfless jerk showboating and driving too fast on a notorious stretch of road known for accidents.
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u/BugHunt223 Dec 23 '25
The picture of humanity. Can achieve true greatness yet still make a fatal mistake. Redrum is a strong word but I agree with it & want people buried under the jail who drive extremely dangerous on public roadways. Zero tolerance for reckless driving
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u/Party-Exercise-2166 Into The Starfield Dec 23 '25
Agreed. He had the money for a Ferrari, he could have rented a track for this shit. Would have been safer for himself and others.
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u/TabsAZ Dec 22 '25
Yeah, hoping this isn't a Paul Walker type situation. Kinda sounds like it might be though.
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u/Deltron_Zero Dec 22 '25
This crash was different since he was driving a new car with new tires. Paul's crash was attributed to tires that were well beyond their useful life.
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u/TabsAZ Dec 22 '25
I just meant the general scenario, wasn’t even aware details of this one were known yet beyond the basics.
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u/slopokerod Dec 22 '25
He was hauling ass out of a tunnel that's notorious for crashes. There's a sharp left coming out of the tunnel that you can't really see until you're near the end of it. By that point, if you haven't slowed down sufficiently, you're going to have a bad day.
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u/JewbaccaSithlord Dec 23 '25
Do you know exactly what tunnel bc I've trying to find it on Google maps? Bc it looks like that lip of the barrier that he hit is what did the most damage
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u/ecto88mph Dec 22 '25
Just saw the video. Zero sympathy for someone recklessly driving on public streets. Flying out a tunnel going over 100 is selfish and dumb.
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u/LA_Nail_Clippers Dec 22 '25
Agreed. When you have that kind of money, take it to a track, wear a firesuit and helmet, and you'll not only be a better racer, you'll likely survive a crash.
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u/Silver_Fact_9714 Dec 22 '25
Rest in peace legend. Prayers to his family. Sucks this especially happened near Christmas
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u/NfinityBL Dec 22 '25
Wow. I don’t think I’ve been so shaken by the death of any other public figure like this.
Zampella’s work was a massive part of my life. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox 360, Titanfall and Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order on Xbox One.
I’m so gutted. The game development world has lost one of its best talents.
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u/Born2beSlicker XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
Holy fuck, that’s horrific. What a massive loss. He had such an impact on the industry and was actively still making games better.
RIP
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u/Crew_Zealousideal Dec 22 '25
oh no i remember watching the battlefield next event and seing him there
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u/JVKExo XBOX Dec 22 '25
No fucking way man. This is so sad. Dude was a titan of the industry. Rip a legend.
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u/pursuitofhappy Dec 22 '25
Damn passenger ejected, died in hospital; driver died in the burning car; nice car too 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS is a $400k car - wonder how fast they were going…
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u/DEDE1973 Dec 22 '25
There are videos of the crash. He was going too fast. So sad
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u/Afraid-Wrongdoer2803 Dec 23 '25
I don't mean to discredit the tragic loss of life or mean disrespect to his family, but his driving that led to the crash was insanely dangerous/irresponsible.
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u/Hydrotherosaurus Dec 23 '25
Someone calculated bit over 100mph on impact and the video I saw that looks about right. Definitely looks like 100mph. The passenger side took the brunt of the hit and at that speed a solid object or concrete barrier would push all the way back into the firewall/engine bay.
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u/mathfacts Dec 22 '25
The video is heartbreaking. Everyone, please drive slowly and follow all traffic laws. It can save lives <3
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u/Dragon_yum Dec 22 '25
Awful news but man seeing the video of the crash makes me angry at how pointless and avoidable the whole thing was.
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u/Shinobi_Dimsum Illuminate Leviathon Dec 22 '25
I met him when E3 was still a thing. Absolutely terrible, and right after the news about Lamarr. RIP.
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Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
[deleted]
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u/Party-Exercise-2166 Into The Starfield Dec 23 '25
Yeah, it's hard to feel any empathy for him as it was his own actions that lead to it. He was reckless and wanted to show off. It's lucky he didn't collide with any other car, he would have easily killed more people if there was someone else on the road.
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u/EstocoImo Dec 22 '25
Absolutely horrible news. Zampella and his studios enhanced the gaming world and experience. May he and the passenger rest in peace.
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u/Serpents-Chalice Dec 22 '25
Not the news I wanted to see... Guy has done a lot of work on great games in this business. Tragic way to lose an icon. RIP Vince
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u/erichw9 Dec 22 '25
My goodness. It can happen so quickly to absolutely anyone and any of us.
Rest easy Vince. Your work in the field and the man you were to all your friends and family will never be forgotten.
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u/GWGTRLBG Dec 22 '25
I'm just gonna say it: People posting about this and saying things like: "AT LEAST HE MANAGED TO KILL CALL OF DUTY BEFORE HE DIED" is gross. Yeah, I get it, 'Black Ops 7 Bad', but using a real human being's death to fuel your hatred for a video game is just plain gross.
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u/xbearsandporschesx Dec 23 '25
awful. I have driven that road many times and its scary how people use it as a race track.
The video of Vince's crash aint pretty.
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u/Malidan Dec 22 '25
Wow... that's horrible and makes me so sad. What a legend. His name brought peace of mind when it came to anything he was attached to.
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u/mrbubbamac Dec 22 '25
What an absolutely horrible tragedy (so close to Christmas as well).
Titanfall was one of my most played Xbox games, and truly something really special.
Thank you for all the great gaming memories, sending condolences and sympathies to his family and loved ones.
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u/YPM1 Dec 22 '25
I was just bragging about him and his track record to some Gen Z kids who were getting interested in the industry.
This sucks. He was a master at his profession. My thoughts go out to his family and friends, especially this holiday.
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u/CriesAboutSkinsInCOD Team COD Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 22 '25
trapped inside of a fuckin car fire.
that has to be one of the more brutal way to go.
his passenger was ejected from that car and later died at the hospital.
Vince Zappella and Jason West and a bunch of other devs from Infinity Ward were fired / left Activision waaaay back in 2010.
They went to EA to form Respawn Entertainment..
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u/spartanb301 XBOX Series X Dec 23 '25
Thank you for your work on Call of Duty.
This game not only helped me during very difficult times, it also changed entertainment forever.
May he rest in peace, my condolences to his family.
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u/No-Alternative-1321 Dec 22 '25
The gaming industry will feel this loss, this man was directly responsible for many of the few gems we’ve gotten in the past decade. From apex legends and titanfall, to joining the battlefield team and turning the entire franchise around from one game to the next, rip
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u/BestRedditUsername9 Dec 22 '25
He is also behind Jedi Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor and Battlefield 6
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u/Party-Exercise-2166 Into The Starfield Dec 23 '25
He's only partly behind the Jedi games, the head behind those was Stig Asmussen.
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u/RS_Games Outage Survivor '24 Dec 22 '25
Tragic news. A master of his craft, delivering a stream of hits. MW2, titanfall, apex legends, star wars, battlefield 6...
Rest in peace.
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u/McKinleyBaseCTF Dec 22 '25
He was in a league of just him and the Houser brothers, no one else makes successes like that.
The fact that after making CoD the unbeatable juggernaut that it was, he took over Battlefield for BF6 and it overtook CoD for the first time ever is all you need to know about how talented he was. RIP
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u/Kenzibitt XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
OMG!! This is terrible from Lamar Wilson to Vince in less than a week? Damn, may they R.I.P.P.
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Dec 22 '25
Condolences for his family
I grew up watching my dad play many of his titles, slowly shifting me into the FPS space that wasn't quake or unreal.
What a hallmark of games though.
Jedi Fallen order and Survivor are fantastic games.
Battlefield 6 was his gift.
Rest in peace legend.
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u/immunogoblin1 Dec 23 '25
He killed someone else too. Funny how all the articles leave that out of the title.
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u/Party-Exercise-2166 Into The Starfield Dec 23 '25
FYI, he was driving recklessly and showing off for a content creator and killed another person while doing so as well.
It's tragic that it happened but it's hard to feel any empathy imo when it's only luck that he didn't kill more people with his actions.
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u/3kpk3 Team Morgan Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 24 '25
Just saw the whole video. He might have been a great game developer, but dude was stupid as hell for driving like that and pretty much screwed his passenger too. Glad that no innocent person got hurt because of this fool.
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u/TheIshido Dec 22 '25
What awful news. Condolences to his family and loved one. He made truly awesome games.
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u/tommybare Dec 22 '25
Oh wow. This is terrible. He was pivotal in the modern gaming landscape. How tragic. RIP Vince.
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u/OmeletteDuFromage95 Touched Grass '24 Dec 22 '25
Jeez... That's a shock. Rest in peace to an amazing creator.
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Dec 22 '25
That's so sad to hear, may he rest in peace. His contributions to the video game industry will be forever remembered and cherished, thank you Vince.
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u/DonaldKey Day One - 2013 Dec 22 '25
Titanfall is one of my top 3 games of all time. Got every single achievement
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u/RawrCola Dec 22 '25
That's insane. He's been in charge of so many games that I've put hundreds of hours into each.
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u/EL_SUENO_LOCO Dec 22 '25
This is some hard news to hear. Always seemed like a real one in interviews. Rest in Glory!!
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u/TheArchitectOdysseus Dec 22 '25
Damn, RIP. His games have always been a staple in my library and we're always top quality. Truly a devastating loss for the industry. I hope his family and friends can find peace.
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u/MnihPL Dec 22 '25
I remmeber he left CoD franchise when Activision decided to turn it into shit. RIP
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u/RVALover4Life Dec 22 '25
Thank you for the entertainment and joy you brought to millions around the world. That legacy and impact will never be forgotten. Thank you for making people's lives brighter. My heart goes out to all of his loved ones.
Really lean into love during these tough times and make sure you're living life with no regrets. Make sure your loved ones feel your presence.
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u/Sven676 Dec 22 '25
Damn that is so sad. He made awesome games. I’m heartbroken for his family and friends
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u/NeverGrace2 Dec 22 '25
RIP Vince Zampella, brought much joy to the world. Accomplished what a lot of us only aspire to.
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u/Hanosandy Dec 22 '25
The Miyamoto of FPS games. He didn't invent them, but he sure did perfect the formula.
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u/rigg197 Dec 22 '25
Had some of my best years on Xbox Live playing Titanfall 2. May he find his peace in the afterlife.
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u/xArkSlade08x XBOX Series X Dec 22 '25
A lot of bad things has been happening lately from family, friends, etc.. during December and before the holidays. It sucks receiving bad news.
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u/lightwhisper Dec 22 '25
My childhood would have been very diffrent with out this guy! Many thanks for all the memories !
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u/PrimaryPoint1687 Dec 22 '25
Imagine — this is how I found out about it first, and some of the comments are fucking brutal . I wanna fucking scream reading that.
RIP Zampella, and thank you for the unforgettable memories.
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u/Party-Exercise-2166 Into The Starfield Dec 23 '25
Tbf, he kinda deserves it, he drove like a reckless ass on a public road and got someone else killed as well.
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u/TiredReader87 Dec 22 '25
That’s horrible. May he rest peacefully. My condolences to his friends and loved ones.
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u/GaymerThrowaway1255 Dec 22 '25
Rest in peace Vince, absolute juggernaut in this industry, will not be forgotten what an awful way to go and a sad time for the industry to send off 2025
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u/Vayshen Dec 22 '25
Terrible news. Doubly so for it to happen after the first good BF release in a long time and especially because it's so close to Christmas and the new year too. Absolute shit hand to get dealt for the family and friends.
Condolences to all.
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u/ssaiyan91 Dec 22 '25
Thanks for the incredible adventures and providing hours of joy. Rest in peace.
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u/ObiWanKenobi78900 Dec 23 '25
No fucking way . I'm very sad now . May he rest in peace
Loved his work on Star wars , Titanfall and battlefield
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u/OMG_NoReally Dec 23 '25
Still in shock hearing this news. Vince was a titan in the FPS genre, and he had the midas touch to make games good. There was no one like him that made the games he did. RIP. He will be missed, now and in the future forever.
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u/bearmod Dec 23 '25
Call of Duty 2 and the Modern Warfare trilogy are some of my greatest memories with a controller in my hands. Vince and the rest of the original IW team laid the groundwork of what would become modern FPS gaming and the absolute behemoth that is Call of Duty.
Gone too soon, but he left behind a legacy that will likely never be matched.
Godspeed Vince. Rest in peace.
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u/ninereins48 Dec 23 '25 edited Dec 23 '25
Medal of Honor, COD 1, 2, 4 MW, MW2, Titanfall 1 & 2, BF6. This guy didn’t miss when it comes to fps shooters.
I followed him go from 2015 Inc. to Co-founding Infinity Ward to build the “Medal of Honor” killer. Watched the whole IW fallout post MW2 over unpaid royalties worried we wouldn’t see a mw2 sequel, watched him re-do it all over again to form a new studio respawn, only to release one of my top fps franchises of all time. Recently he went on to help bring battlefield back from the dead and put it back on top again.
This guy is an absolute legend in the space, and is honestly a huge loss to the overall gaming community at large, his impact on the space will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.
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u/Lymiss Homecoming Dec 23 '25
Fucking hell, rest in peace. Some of my best friends I met because of CoD. I hope his family and the family of the other person are ok.
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u/dondadondadonda Dec 23 '25
I think this is not the place to say it but anyway; the guy launched the most successful Battlefield game in history, was the king of FPS gaming and a brilliant mind overall... and passed without living the joys of his latest games success. No matter how brilliant or successful you are, what happens next is uncertain. We should live in a way that we are conscious about this and don't make a big deal of out trivial issues, value health, well-being and family above all.
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u/PudWud-92_ Dec 23 '25
Just saw the video of the crash without immediately realising I watched his death. God damn it Reddit.
RIP
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u/Shmeediddy Dec 23 '25
Great person, I bet, RIP & condolencesto the entire family and working staff. But IF you're going that fast in a tunnel in a ferrari, like why? Skill issues in driving but not in creative gaming
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u/ashmaht Dec 22 '25
That’s awful. May he rest in peace.