Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Dedicates Separate Screen to Memory of Vince Zampella

The credits of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 include a separate screen dedicated to Vince Zampella, one of the creators of the original Call of Duty and the founder of Infinity Ward.

The screen carries a short inscription: “In memoriam — Vince Zampella.”

Zampella died in a car crash in December 2025, two months after the release of Battlefield 6. Under his leadership, the Battlefield series began to regain lost ground after the failed launch of Battlefield 2042. Battlefield 6 became a major commercial success. It sold more than seven million copies in its first three days and set a franchise record for launch sales.

Zampella had not worked on Call of Duty for more than 15 years, but his contribution to the series was significant. In the late 1990s he worked as a graphic designer, and he gained wide recognition through Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, where he served as lead designer.

After that game’s release, Zampella founded Infinity Ward with Grant Collier and Jason West. The studio signed a deal with Activision to make a shooter that could surpass Medal of Honor. The result was Call of Duty, one of the most successful game franchises in history. Zampella led Infinity Ward during the release of several entries in the series, including 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

His relationship with Activision ended in conflict, however. In 2010, Zampella and West were fired amid a high-profile dispute that involved, among other things, unpaid bonuses for Modern Warfare 2. They then founded Respawn Entertainment.

Under Zampella, Respawn released Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Electronic Arts acquired the studio in 2017. Zampella later headed DICE’s Los Angeles division, and in 2021 he took charge of the Battlefield series.