Respawn's CEO is rebranding DICE LA in leadership role, plans to make new "original" game

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The studio will likely undergo a rebranding and name change

(Image credit: EA)

Respawn co-founder and CEO Vince Zampella is taking over DICE LA with plans to rebrand the studio and start work on a new game.

A report by the LA Times says that under Zampella's charge, DICE LA will likely adopt a new name by the time their original, unannounced game releases. Zampella will also continue to lead Respawn for the foreseeable future.

DICE LA will operate separately from DICE Stockholm, Respawn, and to an extent parent company EA. Zampella plans to lead DICE LA into a brand all its own, complete with a new "image" and original content.

"We want people to say, 'This is a destination you can go and make new content.’ I think they’ve kind of gotten the branding that they are the support studio for DICE Stockholm. I think rebranding is important for showing people, ‘Hey! Come work here. We’re going to do some amazing things,'" Zampella explained.

When EA shut down Danger Close Studios in 2013, they brought over several of the defunct studio's former developers and formed DICE LA, which has primarily operated as an extension of the Stockholm-based DICE. With Zampella taking over, EA chief studios officer Laura Miele says DICE LA will embark on a new creative direction.

"I think under Vince’s leadership the expectation is to have them work on and create a game on their own," Miele said. "And I genuinely believe that he is going to help guide them creatively. He’s going to help them further fortify and build out their talent and their team. I think we’re going to have a really strong studio out of our Los Angeles location. They can go from a support team to a full stand-alone studio to create a new game offering."

Zampella says the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order freed up his schedule and allowed him to work with EA as DICE LA's new studio head. "Now that [Fallen Order]'s done and out there, it’s, 'OK, what’s next,'" said Zampella.

And to that end, when we know, you'll know.

We can't wait to see what DICE LA cooks up under Vince Zampella's lead, but for now here are the 25 best upcoming games of 2020 (and beyond).

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.