[STEAM] If not for Vince Zampella and his work, I would not have found my career in gaming journalism

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Photo via Getty Zampella

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in a car accident on Dec. 21, leaving behind a legacy of greatness. Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Titanfall, Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi, Battlefield 6. Legendary gaming moments like "No Russian," General Shepard's betrayal, or the bond between Jack Cooper and his Titan, BT-7274. He was an architect behind it all.

But in today's somber reflection, I've realized he was also the architect of my career. He was not only the architect of one of the most successful franchises in history, but of friendships and love stories that will last forever. In his iconic games, he created jobs, worlds, and universes that will survive longer than any of us. Everything I've done this year, including traveling to industry events, reviewing over a dozen games, and interviewing many passionate developers, there's a good chance none of that would have happened without Zampella's work.

And that's without even really delving into how deep his impact on gaming itself has been. Call of Duty's massive success over the past 20 years helped shape the industry into what it became. Titanfall 2 is one of my favorite single-player FPS campaigns of all time. Apex Legends was an excellent extension and memorable highlight of the battle royale craze. The Star Wars Jedi games are a critically acclaimed handling of one of the most loved and respected IP ever. And his last title, Battlefield 6, reinvigorated the franchise to become one of the top-selling games of 2025.

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Image via EA Zampella's impact can't truly be quantified today, just a few days after his untimely passing. For now, we can say that he helped craft modern-day FPS games as we know them. But strictly speaking for myself, although I never had the pleasure of meeting or speaking with him, I'm quickly realizing just how much he and his work have meant to me and millions of others, on so many levels. And so, I would just like to say thank you for all of this.

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