The tragic passing of Vince Zampella left an enormous crater in the gaming industry. Here’s how developers on the Battlefield 6 team are aiming to honor his legacy in their work moving forward.
Zampella, creator of Call of Duty and founder of Respawn Entertainment, died on December 21, 2025, aged 55. His last credited release was Battlefield 6, a game he enthusiastically revealed four years after taking over the FPS franchise.
Having established Medal of Honor as a force to be reckoned with, then creating the ‘Medal of Honor killer’ with Call of Duty, not to mention Titanfall and Apex Legends thrown in the mix too, Battlefield rounded out his portfolio of having contributed to all of the biggest FPS games.
The release of Battlefield 6 catapulted the series to greater heights, becoming the biggest launch in franchise history. But of course, launch is only the beginning.
News of Zampella’s passing sent shockwaves through the industry, and of course, it impacted none greater than the Battlefield team. They’re aiming to keep his energy alive in their work and honor his legacy through continued updates to BF6.
Battlefield 6 devs address moving forward after loss of Vince Zampella
“Of course, our thoughts are with the family, especially the kids,” Battlefield 6 Producer Philipp Girette said at the top during an interview for Season 2.
“Without him, no one would be here. The games he created in the past, how he contributed to Battlefield, it’s been enormous.”
Having worked with Zampella over the course of the game’s development, Girette recounted his passion for the Battlefield series, explaining how, at his core, “Vince is a gamer.
“I think back to the reveal of Battlefield 6. The way he talks about the game, Vince is a gamer. He just wants to have a good Battlefield. That is continuing to shine through to everyone who works on the game now.
“I think overall, there’s a huge feeling of gratitude to everything Vince has done to put us in the position we are in now. A bit of a feeling of… we want to hold that high, so he can be proud of what we continue to do.”
Season 2 is the first step in continuing to support Battlefield 6 after Zampella’s passing. His impact is evidently still present across the team as devs look to carry the torch and keep his enthusiasm at heart.
“You really felt it,” Associate Producer Kit Eklöf added. “He set a high standard for all of us, and I feel like the leaders really want to honor him by continuing to lead by those standards.”
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