Call of Duty co-creator dies in car crash

Vince Zampella, one of the creators behind the best-selling video game series Call of Duty, has died in a Southern California car crash.

The single-vehicle collision involving a Ferrari happened in the San Gabriel Mountains at about 12:45pm. He was travelling with another person when it crashed and caught fire on a highway in Los Angeles.

Officials said the person in the vehicle's passenger seat was ejected while the driver remained trapped. It is unclear if Zampella was driving the car and who the other passenger was.

Both people inside the vehicle died.

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.

The first-person shooter game debuted in 2003 as a Second World War simulation, while subsequent versions have delved into modern warfare.

A live-action movie based on the game is 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.

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."