“Without Him the Industry Wouldn’t Be the Same”: Kojima, Todd Howard and Phil Spencer Honor Vince Zampella
Artis Kenderik
At the DICE Summit in Las Vegas on February 11, the memorial event “Remembering a Titan: Vince Zampella” was held to honor the legacy of legendary developer Vince Zampella (Vince Zampella). Zampella died in a car accident on December 21, 2025, at the age of 55.
At the event, speakers included some of the biggest figures in the gaming industry: Geoff Keighley (Geoff Keighley), Phil Spencer (Phil Spencer), Hideo Kojima (Hideo Kojima), Todd Howard (Todd Howard), Randy Pitchford (Randy Pitchford), Ted Price (Ted Price), Stig Asmussen (Stig Asmussen), and Respawn general manager Daniel Suarez (Daniel Suarez).
Laura Miele (Laura Miele), head of EA Entertainment, opened the event with a speech about Zampella’s legacy:
Vince Zampella changed the way games are made. But more importantly, he changed how people are treated while making them. His legacy is not just franchises or awards. His legacy lives in every studio that chose trust over fear, craftsmanship over shortcuts, people over profit.
Geoff Keighley called Zampella one of the most important leaders in the industry. He recalled a 2013 interview ahead of the release of Titanfall and highlighted his relentless pursuit of excellence — nothing was ever good enough.
Todd Howard shared that shortly before Zampella’s passing, he had wanted to nominate him for a DICE Award, but Zampella declined — for him, it was always about the team:
I felt he deserved it. Not just for the games, but for his leadership, his relationships with people, his ability to find and grow talent, and for shaping what this industry is today and what it will be tomorrow. Vince was genuine. I always turned to him for advice on every game I made or on how to navigate everything happening in the industry.
In a video message, Hideo Kojima said Zampella helped him when he was building Kojima Productions after leaving Konami, showing him his studio and offering valuable advice. Kojima also revealed for the first time that they had preliminary talks about creating a first-person shooter based on Metal Gear after the release of MGS4 in 2008, but the project never materialized:
Without him, the gaming industry would not be what it is today.
Phil Spencer recalled meeting Zampella more than ten years ago as friendly competitors, joking with each other at E3.
Stig Asmussen, director of two Star Wars Jedi titles at Respawn, described Zampella as the best servant-leader he had ever known — someone who always put the team above himself.
Daniel Suarez, general manager of Respawn, spoke about how Zampella always fought for his team:
Everyone knew he would be the one fighting to make the game the best it could possibly be. He fought to give the team the space to do their best work. People loved him for that.
Vince Zampella was a legendary figure in the gaming industry. He co-created the Call of Duty franchise, co-founded Infinity Ward, and after a conflict with Activision in 2010 founded Respawn Entertainment, which went on to create Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi. In recent years, he led development of the Battlefield series. Under his leadership, Battlefield 6 became the best-selling game of 2025 in the United States.
Do you remember his games? Which one was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
-
Call of Duty Creator and Battlefield Head Vince Zampella Dies in Car Accident -
“Like the Quality Noir Films of My Childhood”: Hideo Kojima Praises ‘Crime 101’ -
Electronic Arts and Infinity Ward Pay Tribute to Vince Zampella -
Vince Zampella, known for Medal of Honor, Battlefield, and the early Call of Duty games, has died. We look back on the developer's life -
"Rest in peace, friend": the heads of Epic Games, CD Projekt and other famous personalities bid farewell to Vince Zampella