Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 includes a dedication screen in its credits honoring Vince Zampella, the Infinity Ward co-founder who helped create the Call of Duty franchise, according to Video Games Chronicle. The screen reads simply, “In memoriam, Vince Zampella.” Zampella died in a car crash in December 2025.
The Modern Warfare 4 Vince Zampella tribute marks a quiet but notable nod to one of the shooter genre’s foundational figures, even though Zampella had not worked on a Call of Duty title in more than a decade and a half before his death.
The Main Development
Modern Warfare 4‘s credits sequence sets aside a dedicated screen for Zampella, crediting him by name for his role in the franchise’s origins. The message is brief, two words of tribute followed by his name, but it places Zampella alongside the game’s current development team in the final moments players see after finishing the campaign.
Zampella began his career as a graphic designer in the 1990s, working for companies including Atari and Sega. He later served as lead designer on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, a critically acclaimed first-person shooter published by Electronic Arts.
What It Means For Fans
Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward alongside Grant Collier and Jason West. The studio signed a publishing agreement with Activision to build a shooter meant to surpass Medal of Honor, an effort that produced the Call of Duty franchise itself.
Zampella led Infinity Ward through numerous Call of Duty entries, with his involvement extending through Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 2009. For longtime fans of the series, the Modern Warfare 4 Vince Zampella tribute connects the newest installment directly back to the games that built the franchise’s reputation nearly two decades earlier.
Background And Context
Zampella’s departure from Infinity Ward followed a dispute with Activision over bonuses tied to Modern Warfare 2 and subsequent firings. He and Jason West formed Respawn Entertainment in 2010. Respawn went on to release Titanfall, Titanfall 2, Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and Electronic Arts acquired the studio in 2017.
Zampella’s career continued to evolve within EA. He took over leadership of the Los Angeles arm of DICE in 2020, then was chosen to oversee the Battlefield series in 2021 following the disappointing release of Battlefield 2042. Under his direction, Battlefield 6 sold more than seven million copies in its first three days, the biggest launch in the series’ history.
What’s Next
Modern Warfare 4’s credits now stand as a lasting record of Zampella’s role in shaping Call of Duty and the broader first-person shooter genre. No further details have emerged about additional tributes planned across other Call of Duty platforms or future releases tied to his legacy.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
