Vince Zampella’s daughter pays tribute as Call of Duty co-creator dies aged 55

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Vince Zampella's daughter Courtney has paid tribute to her father after he died in a car crash.

Zampella, a key figure behind the Call of Duty and Battlefield games franchises, was killed Sunday afternoon (December 21) when his Ferrari crashed on Southern California's Angeles Crest Highway, according to NBC4 Investigates.

"For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed," the California Highway Patrol said in a statement, also revealing the vehicle had burst into flames upon impact.

A video thought to show the shocking moment the red 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS crashed into a barrier after emerging from a tunnel and bursting into flames has since gone viral online.

Zampella has left behind three adult children Quentin 26, Kyle, 22, and Courtney, 19, who he shared with ex-wife Brigitte.

Vince Zampella has died aged 55 (Scott Kirkland/Frank Micelotta/The Game Awards via Getty Images)

Now Courtney has paid tribute to her late father on social media.

Taking to her Instagram stories, she posted a photo of herself when she was a child, cheekily sticking her tongue out while posing next to Vince.

"My best friend. Forever and always," she wrote, with a white heart emoji.

Zampella was a veteran video-game executive and producer best known for shaping modern first-person shooters.

He co-founded Infinity Ward, where he helped create Call of Duty, then went on to co-found Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Titanfall and Apex Legends.

Courtney paid tribute to her dad Vince (Courtney Zampella/Instagram)

Zampella later took on senior leadership roles at Electronic Arts, overseeing Respawn and eventually leading EA’s Battlefield and broader shooter portfolio.

Paying tribute to him, a spokesperson for EA Games described Zampella as 'a friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator,' adding: "His work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world."

They continued: "His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come."

While Call of Duty is by far Zampella’s most recognizable work, it isn’t the only fan-favorite game he worked on.

Courtney describer her dad as her 'best friend' (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for EA Entertainment)

He was also behind the creation of action-adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote: "This news is actually crazy...[Vince] made two of my favorite games of all time and two of the most important games of all time.

"It's horrible to find out his life was cut short like this. RIP to an actual legend."

"Goddamn, completely unexpected," a second said. "He was really involved with Battlefield 6 this year too."

A third wrote: "Holy s**t, this dude is genuinely a legend in my eyes. Completely revolutionized shooters twice with the OG MW series and Titanfall. RIP."

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