Vince Zampella honored at DICE 2026 by Kojima, Phil Spencer and Todd Howard

Industry figures including Geoff Keighley, Hideo Kojima, Phil Spencer and Todd Howard paid tribute to Vince Zampella during a DICE Summit 2026 keynote, recalling his leadership and mentorship; Zampella died in December in a car accident at age 55.

Industry figures gathered at the DICE Summit 2026 to honor Vince Zampella. Geoff Keighley opened a keynote segment dedicated to Zampella's memory. Speakers and recorded messages from Hideo Kojima, Phil Spencer, Todd Howard and others highlighted his leadership, mentorship and influence on teams and game development. Zampella, co-creator of the Call of Duty franchise and co‑founder of Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, died in December in a car accident at age 55. Key points: - Geoff Keighley opened a DICE Summit 2026 keynote segment honoring Vince Zampella. - Several industry leaders spoke in person or via video, including Hideo Kojima, Phil Spencer, Todd Howard, Randy Pitchford, Stig Asmussen and Laura Miele, who shared memories of his leadership and mentorship. - Speakers described Zampella as a leader who prioritized teams, led without ego, and pushed for high standards in game development. - Zampella co-created Call of Duty, co-founded Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment, and was credited most recently as director on Battlefield 6; he died in December at age 55 in a car accident. - DICE attendees were invited to write memories and tributes on blank Magic: The Gathering cards placed around the conference; those cards will be delivered to his family. Summary: The tributes at DICE emphasized Zampella's impact on how games are made and on the people who make them. Conference organizers are collecting written remembrances to send to his family, and speakers framed his legacy in terms of leadership, mentorship and dedication to teams.