Wed Oct 15 09:10:00 UTC 2025: **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

**Battlefield Boss Zampella: Call of Duty Exists Because EA Was “Dicks”**

**LOS ANGELES, CA – October 18, 2024** – In a candid interview with GQ, Vince Zampella, current head of the Battlefield franchise at EA, has made a startling claim: Activision’s blockbuster Call of Duty series owes its existence to EA’s past missteps.

Zampella, a veteran of both EA and Activision, traced the origins of the rivalry back to his early days working on EA’s Medal of Honor franchise. After serving as lead designer on “Medal of Honor: Allied Assault,” Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward, initially intending to continue developing Medal of Honor titles. However, according to Zampella, EA’s decision to move the franchise development in-house left Infinity Ward in a precarious position.

“The only reason that Call of Duty exists is because EA were dicks,” Zampella stated bluntly.

The situation reportedly involved unpaid milestones and a lack of financial support, leading Infinity Ward to seek out Activision. Seeing an opportunity to challenge EA’s dominance in the war-themed shooter genre, Activision embraced the team and backed the creation of Call of Duty.

The franchise went on to become a global phenomenon, though Zampella’s relationship with Activision soured after the release of “Modern Warfare 2” in 2009, culminating in a protracted legal battle over unpaid bonuses and royalties. Zampella eventually received a substantial settlement.

This dispute led to the creation of Respawn Entertainment, co-founded by Zampella, which developed titles such as “Titanfall” and “Apex Legends.” EA later partnered with and acquired Respawn. Zampella has since risen through the ranks at EA, eventually taking the helm of the Battlefield franchise, which recently released the successful “Battlefield 6.”

The GQ interview also included a brief anecdote about the now-defunct plans for Ridley Scott to direct a Call of Duty movie.

“Ridley Scott came in one time – who’s a hero of mine – but he’s not connected to games, so he’d ask these questions like, ‘How do you script what happens?” Zampella recalled.

“Battlefield 6” recently launched to critical and commercial success, achieving EA’s best-ever game launch on Steam, surpassing even “Apex Legends.”

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