Vince Zambella, one of the most iconic figures in the global video game industry and co-creator of the Call of Duty series, has died at the age of 55, Electronic Arts (EA) announced Monday.

On Monday, the company announced on Monday that it would release a new version of the game.
May 16. The cause of death was not disclosed. However, NBC Los Angeles later reported that Zambella was killed in a car crash on Sunday afternoon on the Angeles Crest Highway in California.

According to the California Highway Patrol, authorities were called at 12:43 p.m. Sunday for a vehicle collision. They subsequently said the driver and a passenger died, but did not release their names until relatives were notified.

Traffic police said that, “for unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off course” and struck a concrete parapet.

In its statement, EA called Zambella a “visionary,” stressing that “his work has been instrumental in shaping modern interactive entertainment and has inspired millions of gamers and creators around the world.”

“This is an unimaginable loss and our thoughts are with Vince’s family, loved ones and everyone who was influenced by his work,” the company said, noting that “his influence on the videogames industry has been profound.”

Zambella co-founded Infinity Ward, the studio that released the first Call of Duty in 2003. The series went on to become one of the most commercially successful in video game history, with dozens of editions, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 was released the previous year.

Currently, the first edition of the franchise was released the year before.
Meanwhile, Zambella co-founded Respawn Entertainment, which created the Titanfall series, among others. Respawn Entertainment was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2017, further strengthening EA’s position in the first-person action game space.