In a jarring blow to the video game industry, Vince Zampella — one of the architects behind the Call of Duty franchise — was killed Sunday in a single-car crash on Southern California’s Angeles Crest Highway, according to NBC4.
The 55-year-old gaming titan, whose work helped define modern first-person shooters, died in the fiery crash alongside a passenger, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The vehicle reportedly swerved off the mountain road at around 12:45 p.m., struck a concrete barrier and burst into flames a it travelled southbound.
The driver became stuck in the fiery car after it crashed and died on the scene. The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died later at the hospital.
Zampella’s passing reverberated across the gaming community and beyond — a stark reminder that even the creators of fantasy worlds and digital battles are not immune to real-world tragedy.
