Vince Zampella honored at DICE 2026 as industry leaders pay tribute

Speakers including Geoff Keighley, Phil Spencer, Hideo Kojima and Todd Howard paid tribute to Vince Zampella during a DICE Summit keynote; attendees were invited to leave written tributes on blank Magic: The Gathering cards to be delivered to his family.

Geoff Keighley opened a segment of the DICE Summit 2026 keynote that was dedicated to honoring Vince Zampella, who died in a car accident in December at age 55. A number of industry figures spoke in person or via video about Zampella’s influence on game development and on the people who worked with him. Speakers described his drive for excellence, his focus on teams and players, and his reputation for leading without ego. The presentation included a request that attendees write memories and tributes on blank Magic: The Gathering cards, which will be collected and delivered to his family. Notable remarks: - Geoff Keighley said Zampella’s restlessness and hunger for better games and teams defined him and that he stayed "stubbornly human" inside large companies. - Phil Spencer spoke in person about a friendly rivalry and said he learned from Zampella’s example of leading without ego. - Hideo Kojima appeared in a video message and said he believed the modern game industry might not exist without Zampella; Kojima later urged people to look to him as a model. - Todd Howard described Zampella as straightforward and "cool," and noted a personal anecdote about his son wanting to meet Zampella. - Laura Miele emphasized that Zampella wanted to be remembered as a great dad and that he mentored and supported people while creating team-focused cultures. - DICE attendees were invited to add written tributes on blank Magic: The Gathering cards placed around the conference; the cards will be delivered to Zampella’s family after the event. Summary: Industry speakers at DICE 2026 emphasized Zampella’s influence on how games are made and on workplace culture, citing his leadership style, loyalty to teams, and focus on players. The conference memorial included both in-person remarks and video messages, and a collection of attendee-written tributes will be passed to his family; Undetermined at this time.