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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. <\/p>\n
Zampella, best known for co-creating the popular \u201cCall of Duty\u201d video game franchise and launching \u201cApex Legends\u201d studio Respawn Entertainment, died of thermal injuries and smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner\u2019s database. <\/a>He also suffered blunt trauma at the time of his death. Zampella was 56. <\/p>\n Electronic Arts, which owns Respawn, confirmed reports of Zampella\u2019s death in December, noting in a statement that the developer and sports car collector\u2019s influence on the gaming industry \u201cwas profound and far-reaching.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA friend, colleague, leader and visionary creator, his work helped shape modern interactive entertainment and inspired millions of players and developers around the world,\u201d Electronic Arts added. \u201cHis legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n 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<\/a> of storm damage<\/a>. Officers responded to the scene of the crash, and a preliminary investigation found that a car had been traveling southbound when, \u201cfor unknown reasons, the vehicle veered off the roadway, struck a concrete barrier, and became fully engulfed,\u201d according to the release.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe passenger was ejected from the vehicle, and the driver remained trapped,\u201d the CHP said at the time. \u201cBoth parties succumbed to their injuries.\u201d <\/p>\n Zachary Marks, a technician and robotics enthusiast, also died in the crash as a result of blunt force injuries, according to the medical examiner\u2019s database<\/a>. He was 38. His BattleBots team Seems Reasonable confirmed in a January Instagram tribute<\/a> that Marks died over the holiday season. <\/p>\n \u201cZach was \u2018Horsepower \u2018on the team, he didn\u2019t mind much which direction we were headed, but he\u2019d always help us get there smiling,\u201d the team said in January. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t be Battlebots Champions without you Zach, you will be missed.\u201d<\/p>\n Zampella, a formative figure in the modern gaming scene, co-founded the original \u201cCall of Duty\u201d 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, \u201cCall of Duty\u201d spawned dozens of sequels and spinoffs across various consoles and platforms, most recently \u201cCall of Duty: Black Ops 7,\u201d which was released in November.<\/p>\n Vince Zampella, founder of video game studio Respawn Entertainment, in 2019 at the company\u2019s headquarters in Chatsworth.<\/p>\n (Mel Melcon \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n Gaming giant Activision acquired Infinity Ward in 2003, but split from <\/a>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. <\/p>\n At Respawn, Zampella oversaw the creation of \u201cTitanfall,\u201d \u201cApex Legends\u201d and \u201cMedal of Honor: Above and Beyond\u201d and its <\/a> story-driven \u201cStar Wars\u201d titles \u201cStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order\u201d and \u201cStar Wars Jedi: Survivor,\u201d starring Cameron Monaghan. For Ripple, he oversaw its \u201cBattlefield\u201d franchise until his death. <\/p>\n Times staff writer Clara Harter contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n