The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced that it will honor the life and legacy of game developer Vince Zampella at the upcoming DICE Summit in Las Vegas. Zampella, 55, died in a car crash at the end of December 2025 alongside another person who was also in the car.
The event is called "Vince Zampella: Remembering A Titan," and it will include a series of discussions featuring Zampella's colleagues and friends. Some of the people set to appear at the event include The Game Awards host and organizer Geoff Keighley, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, Bethesda boss Todd Howard, and EA executive Laura Miele. A number of industry professionals will be featured in video messages during the event as well.
"The session reflects on Vince's inspirations, generosity, personality, and the indelible mark he left on the industry, the teams he worked with, and the hundreds of millions of players whose lives were touched by his games," the AIAS said.
Zampella worked in video games since the 1990s and is perhaps best known for helping to create the Medal of Honor series with Steven Spielberg and Electronic Arts. Zampella would leave EA to start his own studio, Infinity Ward, with Jason West and Grant Collier. Infinity Ward created the Call of Duty series and was later acquired by Activision. Zampella and West were later fired by Activision for alleged insubordination.
After settling a lawsuit with Activision, Zampella and West founded Respawn, which would go on to release Titanfall and Apex Legends. EA acquired Respawn and Zampella was promoted to a bigger role within EA, ultimately rising to steer the Battlefield series, culminating in the highly successful launch of Battlefield 6. It was 2025's No. 1 best-selling game in the US.
Image credit: Getty Images/Barry Brecheisen
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The event is called "Vince Zampella: Remembering A Titan," and it will include a series of discussions featuring Zampella's colleagues and friends. Some of the people set to appear at the event include The Game Awards host and organizer Geoff Keighley, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, Bethesda boss Todd Howard, and EA executive Laura Miele. A number of industry professionals will be featured in video messages during the event as well.
"The session reflects on Vince's inspirations, generosity, personality, and the indelible mark he left on the industry, the teams he worked with, and the hundreds of millions of players whose lives were touched by his games," the AIAS said.
Zampella worked in video games since the 1990s and is perhaps best known for helping to create the Medal of Honor series with Steven Spielberg and Electronic Arts. Zampella would leave EA to start his own studio, Infinity Ward, with Jason West and Grant Collier. Infinity Ward created the Call of Duty series and was later acquired by Activision. Zampella and West were later fired by Activision for alleged insubordination.
After settling a lawsuit with Activision, Zampella and West founded Respawn, which would go on to release Titanfall and Apex Legends. EA acquired Respawn and Zampella was promoted to a bigger role within EA, ultimately rising to steer the Battlefield series, culminating in the highly successful launch of Battlefield 6. It was 2025's No. 1 best-selling game in the US.
Image credit: Getty Images/Barry Brecheisen
Source