Hold My Pint: Vince Zampella Claims Call of Duty Only Exists Because 'EA Were Dicks'
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Vince Zampella, current Head of Battlefield, has revealed that Call of Duty only exists because "EA were dicks," detailing how corporate squabbles over *Medal of Honor* led his team to form Infinity Ward and partner with Activision, fundamentally altering the landscape of military shooters forever. It’s a wild tale of corporate drama, unpaid milestones, and ironic twists of fate that shaped two of gaming’s biggest franchises.
Right, so imagine you're tinkering with a powerful new spell, and then some corporate wizard comes along, nicks half your enchanted reagents, and tries to sell them back to you with a 'new and improved' label. You'd be a bit miffed, wouldn't you? Apparently, that's roughly how the universe conspired to give us *Call of Duty*, according to none other than Vince Zampella, the bloke now heading up the *Battlefield* franchise.
He's dropped a right truth bomb, claiming the entire *CoD* saga only exists because, and I quote, 'EA were dicks.' Bloody hell, mate, shots fired indeed! This juicy bit of industry gossip came out of an interview Zampella had with *GQ*, where he was chatting about *Battlefield 6*'s potential to, supposedly, 'save the modern military shooter.' But naturally, my ears pricked up when he started reminiscing about his own history – a history that, rather ironically, includes being part of the original *Call of Duty* team.
For those who haven't been meticulously archiving gaming history like some digital loremaster, Zampella’s journey began with the *Medal of Honor* series. Specifically, the absolutely cracking *Medal of Honor: Allied Assault*, developed by 2015 Inc. Now, *Allied Assault* wasn't just 'good'; it was genuinely groundbreaking for its time, truly setting a benchmark for cinematic, impactful WWII shooters. It’s hard to overstate its influence – it felt like a proper leap forward, almost as if someone had accidentally discovered a new dimension of immersive gameplay.
But here’s where the corporate shenanigans, or as Zampella so eloquently put it, the 'dickishness,' kicked in. Zampella and his cohort of talented developers from 2015 Inc. went off to form a new studio called Infinity Ward. And what did EA do? Well, in a classic corporate manoeuvre that probably seemed like a stroke of genius on some spreadsheet, they decided to move *Medal of Honor* development in-house. Presumably to 'optimise synergies' or some other buzzword guff.
Now, this is where the plot thickens faster than a cauldron of forgotten stew. While Zampella's direct quote about EA is new, whispers about *CoD*'s dramatic birth and EA's sudden change of heart regarding *Medal of Honor* have been circulating in the industry's digital ether for years. Back in 2013, a former Infinity Ward artist named Justin Thomas, who also worked on *Allied Assault*, shed a bit more light in an *MCV* article. He talked about how, after leaving 2015 Inc., they were working with a 'major publisher' (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more) and things didn't exactly go to plan. They were apparently left in a rather sticky situation of 'unpaid milestones' – basically, they did the work, but the cash wasn't flowing. Their new company was teetering on the brink, potentially about to fold like a bad poker hand.
It’s this precise moment of crisis that led to Activision’s fateful intervention. In a last-ditch effort, their then-president, Grant Collier, sent out an SOS to all the major publishers, letting them know that the core *Medal of Honor: Allied Assault* team was essentially 'available.' And guess who responded immediately with an offer? Activision. Within days of Infinity Ward almost shutting its doors, Activision swooped in, offering a deal to create a new game codenamed 'MOH Killer.' And thus, *Call of Duty* was born.
So, if you’re doing the maths, that means had EA not decided to pull the rug out from under the original *Medal of Honor* dream team, or had they actually paid up those milestones, the gaming landscape we know today could be wildly different. Would *Call of Duty* have ever seen the light of day? Or would we be playing *Medal of Honor 27: Galactic Warfare*? It’s a proper 'what if' moment that makes you ponder the chaotic butterfly effect of corporate decisions.
Fast forward a few decades, and Zampella finds himself in an utterly fascinating, almost poetic, twist of fate. He’s now leading the charge on *Battlefield*, directly facing off against the very franchise he helped create. And let's not forget the further drama: Zampella himself was rather dramatically fired from Activision back in 2010 amidst claims of breach of contract and insubordination. Infinity Ward staff were then, apparently, given a pay-rise and told to 'take the money and get over it.' Talk about a plot twist worthy of a triple-A campaign – from founding father to rival general, with a messy divorce in between!
It's a testament to the talent involved that despite all this behind-the-scenes drama, both *Call of Duty* and *Battlefield* have become titans of the military shooter genre. Zampella’s current venture, *Battlefield 6*, is, by all accounts, proving to be a pretty successful challenger to *CoD*'s throne right now, even if 'saving the modern military shooter' feels like a bit of grandstanding. It had one of the most popular Steam launches of all time, which is no small feat, mate.
Ultimately, this peek behind the curtain isn't just a bit of juicy gossip; it highlights how the often-cutthroat world of game development, corporate ambition, and personal grievances can accidentally forge legends. It makes you wonder what other beloved franchises were born out of similar spat-turned-spells. It's a healthy reminder that even the biggest gaming giants have humble, and sometimes rather messy, beginnings, proving that sometimes, being a bit of a 'dick' can accidentally blow a hole through reality and create an entirely new universe of possibilities. Just perhaps not the one you intended.
Tags: Gaming History, Industry Drama, FPS Games, Call of Duty, Battlefield
Original article: Eurogamer