Prominent figures from the gaming industry gathered at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas to honor Vince Zampella. The keynote event paid tribute to the co-founder of Respawn Entertainment and co-creator of Call of Duty, who passed away in a car crash in late December, as reported by Game File.
Todd Howard, director at Bethesda Game Studios, spoke about his two-decade friendship with Zampella, calling him “the real deal.” Howard frequently sought Zampella’s advice on game development and navigating the industry’s complexities.
Howard mentioned that he and Zampella served on the board of directors for the DICE Annual Awards. He had recently nominated Zampella for a Lifetime Achievement Award, but Zampella declined, emphasizing his focus on the team rather than personal accolades.
Howard believed Zampella deserved the award not only for his contributions to games but also for his leadership, relationships, and talent for identifying and developing others, which significantly shaped the industry.
Geoff Keighley and Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment, also offered their respects. Miele stated that Zampella’s legacy lives on “in every studio that chooses trust over fear, craft over shortcuts, and people over ego.” Keighley characterized Zampella as direct, intolerant of trivialities, and deeply loyal to his colleagues. He noted Zampella’s frequent jest about being “a few days away from quitting every job,” which, paradoxically, made him indispensable. This independent spirit allowed him to operate within the system without being consumed by it, always prioritizing players and encouraging even large organizations to take risks.
Pre-recorded tributes came from Randy Pitchford (Gearbox founder), Ted Price (Insomniac Games), Hideo Kojima, and Daniel Suarez (Respawn general manager). Suarez remarked, “You knew he was going to be the one who was championing for this to be the best game it could be.”
Kojima recounted receiving significant support and advice from Zampella during the establishment of Kojima Productions. He adopted several beneficial aspects from Zampella’s studio into his own. Kojima concluded that “Without him, the gaming industry wouldn’t be what it is today,” as reported by VGC.
