How EA’s Misstep Gave Birth to Call of Duty, According to Vince Zampella

Call of Duty almost never was—EA’s push for tighter creative control drove Medal of Honor co-creator Vince Zampella out in 2002, a split that birthed Infinity Ward and reshaped the FPS landscape.

Here is a little twist of gaming history I did not expect to be writing about today: according to the guy who helped kick off Medal of Honor, Call of Duty only exists because EA annoyed him enough to leave. Yes, really.

"The only reason that Call of Duty exists is because EA were d*cks."

How EA lost a developer and accidentally created a juggernaut

Vince Zampella, co-creator of Medal of Honor, says he walked away from EA in 2002 after clashing over creative control. In a GQ interview, he explains that he and his team were boxed in on Medal of Honor, which stalled the ideas they wanted to push. Instead of compromising, he left, co-founded Infinity Ward, and aimed straight at the future of first-person shooters.

That move led directly to Call of Duty in 2003, which went on to define the cinematic FPS formula and basically live at the top of sales charts for two decades. One corporate headache turned into Activision’s crown jewel. Not subtle, but very effective.

What to know

• 2002: Zampella leaves EA after disputes over creative control on Medal of Honor.
• He co-founds Infinity Ward to chase the FPS he actually wanted to make.
• 2003: Infinity Ward launches Call of Duty, which becomes a runaway hit and reshapes the genre.
• Zampella’s take (via GQ): COD exists because EA pushed him out.
• Call of Duty has stayed wildly popular and profitable for over 20 years.
• EA’s counter-programming is Battlefield, which has had big moments but not COD’s consistency.
• EA and DICE are now loudly positioning the next Battlefield (often called Battlefield 6) as their best shot to outdo COD.
• DICE says it is actively seeking player feedback and taking lessons from the rough launch of Battlefield 2042.

Battlefield’s do-over tour

EA’s pitch is pretty clear: get Battlefield back to what fans actually want and avoid another 2042 situation. DICE has been talking up community input and course-correction. The article that sparked this whole thing calls it a comeback in the making; to be precise, the next Battlefield is not out yet, but the messaging is focused on rebuilding trust and momentum.

Will that be enough, especially with Call of Duty feeling wobbly lately? Maybe. If nothing else, the competition should get spicy again, which is good for everyone who likes big, loud shooters where things explode on schedule.

Your turn

Team Call of Duty or Team Battlefield, and why? I am genuinely curious where you land right now.