The world of gaming is paying tribute to Vince Zampella, co-creator of Call of Duty, who's died in a car crash in California.
Video game company Electronic Arts says Zampella died on Sunday. According to local reports he died while driving his Ferrari north of Los Angeles. A passenger, who also fell victim to fatal injuries after being ejected from the vehicle, has not been named.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
In 2010, Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment, a subsidiary of EA, and he also was the former chief executive of video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio behind the successful Call of Duty franchise.
A spokesperson for Electronic Arts said in a statement that Zampella's influence on the video game industry was “profound and far-reaching."
“A friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world," the statement said. “His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
Zampella was widely regarded as a pioneer in first-person military shooter style games and one of his biggest achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide, The game first appeared in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has sold over 500 million copies globally. Subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare and Paramount Pictures is currently producing a live-action movie based on the game.
In recent years, Zampella was at the helm of the creation of the action adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Geoff Keighley, video game journalist and co-creator of The Game Awards, said he was shocked to hear of Zampella's sudden death.
“Vince was an extraordinary person — a gamer at heart, but also a visionary executive with a rare ability to recognize talent and give people the freedom and confidence to create something truly great,” Keighley wrote on social media on Monday. “And while he created some of the most influential games of our time, I always felt he still had his greatest one ahead of him. It’s heartbreaking that we’ll never get to play it."