Vince Zampella, head of Respawn and Call of Duty co-creator, dies in car crash

Co-founder of Infinity Ward, co-creator of Call of Duty, and co-founder of Respawn Entertainment Vince Zampella has died in a car crash, according to a new report from NBC4 in Los Angeles.

Zampella was involved in a single-car crash on Angeles Crest Highway north of LA, according to the report, at about 12:55pm local time on Dec. 21. The vehicle veered off the road before hitting a concrete barrier and a passenger was ejected from the car. Both Zampella and the passenger did not survive.

One of the architects of modern FPS games as we know it, Zampella’s work history includes Medal of Honor and the co-creation of the original Call of Duty titles. Under his leadership, Infinity Ward released Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, after which he moved on to co-found Respawn Entertainment and oversee such games as Titanfall, Apex Legends and the Star Wars: Jedi series.

“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,” said The Game Awards founder and friend of Zampella, Geoff Keighley. “He leaves behind an incredible legacy of work. 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.”

Zampella also was the leader of the Los Angeles branch of DICE, Ripple Effect Studios, one of the makers of Battlefield 6, a franchise that he recently took over as its lead. His impact on the modern day gaming industry cannot be understated. He was 55 years old.

Destructoid staff would like to send our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and co-workers in this unimaginably difficult time.

Update on Dec. 22 at 3:33pm CT: Electronic Arts, owner of Respawn Entertainment, released this statement this afternoon to confirm the news:

“This is an unimaginable loss, and our hearts are with Vince’s family, his loved ones, and all those touched by his work. Vince’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.”

California Highway Patrol also put out a statement:

“For unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed. The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and the driver remained trapped. Both parties succumbed to their injuries. It is currently unknown whether alcohol and/or drugs were a factor in this crash.”

Update on Dec. 22 at 4:05pm CT: Zampella’s former studio Infinity Ward posted this statement on X/Twitter:

“Rest in peace Vince. As one of the founders of Infinity Ward and Call of Duty, you will always have a special place in our history. Your legacy of creating iconic, lasting entertainment is immeasurable. Our deepest condolences to Vince’s family and loved ones upon this terrible tragedy.”

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The Fury (Part 1) is the first of a new questline that’s been added to Avatar Frontiers of Pandora as part of From the Ashes DLC.

Divided into three parts, the quest takes you all across the new region in search of enemies and items. Part 1 begins with So’lek being informed by Teylan that RDA is capturing animals from all over the map. Your task begins with performing a thorough investigation into the situation.

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora The Fury (Part 1) quest walkthrough

The Fury (Part 1) quest can be broken down into four subparts.

• Locate and Investigate the distress signal site
• Return the Stormglider egg
• Go to the Resource Containment Outpost
• Access the control center at Resource Containment Outpost

Locate and Investigate the distress signal site

Your first task is to go to the crash site from where the RDA distress signal was sent from. The quest marker will lead you to the location in Silk Woods. You’ll find a few RDA soldiers to defeat at this location. Investigate the surroundings to find more clues about what ot do next.

Return the Stormglider egg

You’ll receive a Stormglider egg upon completing the previous part of the quest. You’ll have to return it to its nest. The quest marker will lead you to the location. You’ll encounter two adult Stormgliders at the location. They’re the parents, and you’ll have to avoid being seen by them as you place the egg.

Use stealth to go past the Stormgliders and put the egg back in its right location. You’ll then get a message that the RDA is en route to this location. Defeat all the arriving forces to proceed to the next part of the task.

Gp to the Resource Containment Outpost

The next quest marker will take you to the Resource Containment Outpost. Go close and look for a vantage point to examine the facility. To infiltrate, you’ll need to climb a wall and go inside.

Defeat all the forces you find at the outpost and then free the trapped Soundblast Colossus. Further, defeat all incoming soldiers to prevent the animal from being killed. Once done, Teyland will open the gate to the outpost, and the beast will escape.

Access the control center at Resource Containment Outpost

Your last task is to access the control center of the Resource Containment Outpost. This will allow you to open Gate B and then head inside. You’ll find multiple cages, and you have to use your knife to destroy the locks. This will free the captives, and you’ll discover an NPC named Itu. Complete the following dialog set to finish the mission.

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