Vince Zambella, one of the creators behind best-selling video game series Call Of Duty, has died.
Video game maker Electronic Arts (EA) said the 55-year-old died on Sunday but did not disclose a cause of death.
It was reported he died in a car crash in Southern California.
The single-vehicle collision involving a Ferrari happened in the San Gabriel Mountains at about 12.45pm local time, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment, a subsidiary of EA, in 2010 and he was the former chief executive of video game developer Infinity Ward, the studio behind the Call of Duty franchise.
An EA spokesperson said Zampella’s influence on the video game 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,” the spokesperson added.
“His legacy will continue to shape how games are made and how players connect for generations to come.”
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One of Zampella’s crowning achievements was the creation of the Call of Duty franchise, which has sold more than half a billion games worldwide.
The first-person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a Second World War simulation, while subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare.
There is a live-action movie based on the game in production with Paramount Pictures.
Zampella was also at the helm of the creation of action adventure video games Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
