Vince Zampella has had a very successful career in games. Focusing mostly on first-person shooters, he's played an instrumental role in the development of some of the most beloved and most popular examples.
At EA, he worked on the Medal Of Honor franchise, helming the celebrated Allied Assault with film director Steven Spielberg.
He then formed his own studio, Infinity Ward, and introduced Call of Duty to the world — a series that needs no introduction.
Now, having established Respawn Entertainment with Titanfall and Apex Legends, he's back at EA helping Battlefield 6 find its early launch success.
Zampella's trajectory through modern shooters is impressive, but it sounds like his most successful creation may have only come about because of unsavoury circumstances.
Speaking to GQ, he comments on Call of Duty's origins in a blunt statement:
"The only reason that Call of Duty exists is because EA were d*cks."
While the details are a little hazy, it appears that disagreements between EA and key creative staff following the release of Medal of Honor: Allied Assault saw Zampella leave to found Infinity Ward in 2002.
The newly formed team set out to produce a game, pointedly codenamed 'MOH Killer', which would become Call of Duty, which has since become the dominant FPS series of the last 20 years or so.
Now, Zampella has helped bring Battlefield back into the fight, and it seems to be the biggest competition for Call of Duty in some time.
It's funny how all these things work out, isn't it?