Developers Honor a Legend: “Vince Was the Real Deal”

This week, some of the most prominent figures in game development have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual DICE Summit, where one of the first highlights was honoring the late Vince Zampella. “His legacy isn’t just in the franchises or awards,” said EA Entertainment president Laura Miele. “It lives in every studio that chooses trust over fear, craft over shortcuts, people over ego.”

Notable industry leaders like Bethesda’s Todd Howard and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima shared their memories of Zampella through pre-recorded video tributes. “Vince was the real deal,” Howard remarked. “I would always seek his advice with every game that I did, or how to navigate everything happening in the industry.”

During the DICE Summit, Kojima revealed that he had numerous discussions with Zampella about the possibility of creating a first-person Metal Gear Solid game together after the release of Metal Gear Solid 4.

Zampella tragically passed away in a car accident last December, which also took the life of his passenger. He began his career working on Medal of Honor in the early 2000s before co-founding Infinity Ward, where he led the development of Call of Duty. Later, he established Respawn Entertainment following a contentious split with Activision over studio bonuses. At the time of his passing, he was serving as executive president at EA, overseeing franchises like Battlefield.

Kojima, who experienced his own tumultuous departure from Konami in the 2010s, shared that Zampella had given him a tour of Respawn while he was working to launch Kojima Productions. “He provided me with a lot of support and advice,” Kojima noted. “He showed me his studio, and I incorporated some of the good aspects into our own studio.”

Kojima also mentioned that they had once discussed the idea of collaborating on a first-person Metal Gear Solid shooter after the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 in 2008. Howard added that he had previously nominated Zampella for a lifetime achievement award, but he had declined to accept it.