On December 21, 2025, Zampella was driving a red 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS when it went off the road, hit a concrete barrier after coming out of a tunnel, and caught fire. A passenger was thrown out and later died from injuries at a hospital. Zampella, on the other hand, was stuck inside the burning car. The California Highway Patrol said the accident happened around 12:45 p.m. and that speed was probably a factor, but drugs or alcohol have not been confirmed.
In 2002, Zampella and Jason West started Infinity Ward. In 2003, they released the first Call of Duty game, which changed the way first-person shooters were made and sold billions of copies. He left Activision in 2010 in a very public way and then started Respawn Entertainment under Electronic Arts. The company made popular games like Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi titles. He was also in charge of Ripple Effect Studios, which worked on the Battlefield series.
Electronic Arts called Zampella a “visionary creator” whose work changed the way games are made today and inspired millions of people around the world. Gaming figures like Geoff Keighley praised his ability to find new talent and put players first. They were sad to see him go because he would have come up with new ideas in the future. Fans and developers flooded social media with messages of condolence, honoring his work on games like Modern Warfare 2 and Titanfall 2.
