‘Call of Duty’ co-creator Vince Zampella’s cause of death

The Los Angeles medical examiner has disclosed the official cause of death for video game developer Vince Zampella, who died in a fiery car crash in December.

Zampella, best known for co-creating the popular “Call of Duty” video game franchise and launching “Apex Legends” studio Respawn Entertainment, died of thermal injuries and smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner’s database. He also suffered blunt trauma at the time of his death. Zampella was 56.

Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn, confirmed reports of Zampella’s death in December, noting in a statement that the developer and sports car collector’s influence on the gaming 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,” Electronic Arts added. “His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”

The California Highway Patrol said in a Dec. 21 news release that it received a call about a car crash at Mile Post 62.70 of the scenic Angeles Crest Highway, which reopened in August after a years-long closure because of storm damage. Officers responded to the scene of the crash, and a preliminary investigation found that a car had been traveling southbound when, “for unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed,” according to the release.

Video emerged online showing a red Ferrari shooting out of a tunnel along the highway at a high speed, slamming into a concrete barrier where the road curved and erupting into flames. CHP confirmed at the time that the crash involved a red 2026 Ferrari 296 GTS. The vehicle is a hybrid convertible powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 and an electric motor, producing a combined 819 horsepower.

“The passenger was ejected from the vehicle, and the driver remained trapped,” the CHP said at the time. “Both parties succumbed to their injuries.”

Zachary Marks, a technician and robotics enthusiast, also died in the crash as a result of blunt force injuries, according to the medical examiner’s database. He was 38. His BattleBots team Seems Reasonable confirmed in a January Instagram tribute that Marks died over the holiday season.

“Zach was ‘Horsepower ‘on the team, he didn’t mind much which direction we were headed, but he’d always help us get there smiling,” the team said in January. “We wouldn’t be Battlebots Champions without you Zach, you will be missed.”

Zampella, a formative figure in the modern gaming scene, co-founded the original “Call of Duty” studio Infinity Ward in 2002 with Jason West and former creative partner Grant Collier. They released the first installment of the first-person military shooting game in 2003. Since its inception, “Call of Duty” spawned dozens of sequels and spinoffs across various consoles and platforms, most recently “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7,” which was released in November.

Gaming giant Activision acquired Infinity Ward in 2003, but split from Zampella and West in 2010. The duo then founded Respawn later that year, but in 2013, West departed the company because of unspecified family issues. Zampella remained head of the studio and also led the L.A. branch of Swedish video game developer DICE, which was renamed in 2021 to Ripple Effect Studios.

At Respawn, Zampella oversaw the creation of “Titanfall,” “Apex Legends” and “Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond” and its story-driven “Star Wars” titles “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order” and “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor,” starring Cameron Monaghan. For Ripple, he oversaw its “Battlefield” franchise until his death.

Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.