Vince Zampella, video game pioneer behind ‘Call of Duty,’ dies at 55

FILE - In this June 12, 2014 file photo, people watch the "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare" video game trailer at the Activision booth at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Vince Zampella, one of the creators behind best-selling video games such as “Call of Duty,” has died. He was 55.

Video game company Electronic Arts said Zampella died Sunday. The company did not disclose his cause of death.

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 on Monday 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. His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come,” a company spokesperson wrote.

One of Zampella’s crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide,

The first person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a World War II simulation and has sold over 500 million copies globally. Subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare and there is a live-action movie based on the game in production with Paramount Pictures.

In recent years, Zampella has been 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.

“I’ll miss our dinners and long conversations. 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,” he added.

Safiyah Riddle, The Associated Press