Call of Duty (CoD) is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision. It began in 2003. The games were first created by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Other developers made several spin-off and handheld versions of the games. The most recent game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, was released on November 14, 2025.

The series originally focused on World War II settings. Infinity Ward developed the first two games, Call of Duty (2003) and Call of Duty 2 (2005). Treyarch developed Call of Duty 3 (2006). Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) introduced a modern setting and became a major success for the series, starting the Modern Warfare sub-series. A remastered version of Modern Warfare was released in 2016. Two other games in the sub-series, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were also made. The sub-series was restarted with Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare II (2022), and Modern Warfare III (2023). Infinity Ward also created two games outside the Modern Warfare sub-series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).

Treyarch made one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before launching Black Ops (2010) and starting the Black Ops sub-series. Additional games in the sub-series include Black Ops II (2012), Black Ops III (2015), Black Ops 4 (2018), Black Ops Cold War (2020), Black Ops 6 (2024), and Black Ops 7 (2025). The last three games were developed in partnership with Raven Software. Sledgehammer Games, who co-developed Modern Warfare 3, created three games: Advanced Warfare (2014), WWII (2017), and Vanguard (2021). They also led the development of Modern Warfare III (2023), the third game in the Modern Warfare reboot sub-series.

As of October 2023, Call of Duty has sold over 500 million copies and has 100 million monthly active players across all platforms. The franchise earned $30 billion in revenue by 2022. It is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best-selling first-person shooter game series. It is also the most successful video game franchise created in the United States and the third best-selling video game franchise of all time. Other products in the franchise include a line of action figures by Plan B Toys, a card game by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets by Mega Brands, a comic book miniseries by WildStorm Productions, and a feature film currently in development.

Main series

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game based on id Tech 3. It was released on October 29, 2003, and developed by Infinity Ward. Activision published the game. It shows soldiers fighting in World War II battles. An expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, was created by Gray Matter Studios with help from Pi Studios. Activision produced it. The game follows American, British, and Russian soldiers. Aspyr Media made the Mac OS X version available. In late 2004, Nokia developed the N-Gage version, and Activision published it. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with music and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (with game updates), and Deluxe Edition (which includes United Offensive and music; in Europe, the music was not included). On September 22, 2006, Call of Duty, United Offensive, and Call of Duty 2 were released together as Call of Duty: War Chest for PC. Since November 12, 2007, Call of Duty games have been sold through Steam, a content delivery platform by Valve.

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter and the sequel to Call of Duty. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game is set during World War II and shows the perspectives of soldiers in the Red Army, British Army, and United States Army. It was released on October 25, 2005, for Windows, November 15, 2005, for Xbox 360, and June 13, 2006, for Mac OS X. Other versions were made for mobile phones, Pocket PCs, and smartphones.

Call of Duty 3 is a first-person shooter and the third game in the series. It was released on November 7, 2006, and developed by Treyarch. It was the first major game in the series not made by Infinity Ward and the first not released for PC. It was available for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the series. It was developed by Sledgehammer Games and released worldwide on November 3, 2017, for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in Europe and follows a group of soldiers in the 1st Infantry Division during battles on the Western Front, focusing on events from Operation Overlord.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is the eighteenth game in the series. It was developed by Sledgehammer Games, with Treyarch creating the Zombies mode. It was released on November 5, 2021, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The story shows the beginning of special forces fighting a new threat near the end of World War II in different parts of the world.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth main game in the series and the first in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and released on November 7, 2007, for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Aspyr Media released Mac OS X versions in September 2008. By May 2009, the game had sold over 13 million copies.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is a version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released with Legacy Edition, Legacy Pro Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare on November 4, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It was later sold separately on June 27, 2017, for PlayStation 4, and July 27, 2017, for Xbox One and PC. Raven Software developed the game, and Infinity Ward oversaw its production.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the sixth main game in the series and the second in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Activision Blizzard announced the game on February 11, 2009. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows. A Nintendo DS version, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released alongside the game and the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It is a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4 and continues the same story, taking place five years after the first game and featuring characters like Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish. A visually updated version was released for PlayStation 4 on March 31, 2020, and for Xbox One and Windows on April 30, 2020. It includes only the campaign mode. Players who buy it can unlock cosmetic items in 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and 2020’s Call of Duty: Warzone.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, their first main series game. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed a contract that said the developer of each new game in the series would take turns between the two companies. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were working on a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to help Infinity Ward create Modern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would make the 2014 title, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would follow a three-year schedule where they take turns. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they started making a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, problems arose between the two companies, leading Treyarch to take control of the project to make it faster.

Free-to-play games

Call of Duty Online was introduced by Activision in early 2011 when the company expressed interest in creating a Massively multiplayer online game (MMO). At that time, the game had already been in development for two years. It is free to play in mainland China and is managed by Tencent because Activision no longer had the rights to publish Call of Duty and other games in China due to a legal disagreement involving several gaming consoles, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Call of Duty: Heroes is a real-time strategy game created by Faceroll Games and released by Activision for Android and iOS devices.

Call of Duty: Mobile is the mobile version of the franchise for iOS and Android devices, developed by TiMi Studios, a part of Tencent Games. It was released worldwide on October 1, 2019. The game was first announced on March 18, 2019, during the Game Developers Conference. By October 4, 2019, the game had more than 35 million downloads globally.

Call of Duty: Warzone is an online battle royale game developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software and released by Activision. It was launched on March 10, 2020, as part of Modern Warfare (2019). Players can download the game without owning Modern Warfare. The game allows players to use progress and items from Modern Warfare, as well as Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard after updates added content from these titles. Activision has stated that a mobile version of Warzone is being developed and will be released at a future date.

A new version of Warzone, originally called Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, was released on November 16, 2022, as part of an update for Modern Warfare II. After its fourth seasonal update, the game was renamed to Warzone. Like the previous version, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It later included items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also connects to Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that uses items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III but plays on different maps and game modes.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is a mobile battle royale game that was no longer available after its release. It was created by Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Digital Legends Entertainment, and Solid State Studios, with help from other Activision studios. The game allows players to use progress and items from Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, but it does not support playing together with these games across different platforms. The game was first released in Australia on November 30, 2022, and in Chile, Norway, and Sweden on March 24, 2023, as part of a "Limited Release" phase. The first map was a version of Verdansk, which first appeared in the original Warzone. The game was officially released for iOS and Android devices on March 21, 2024.

Spin-off games

Call of Duty: Finest Hour was the first game in the Call of Duty series for consoles. It was released on the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game include an online multiplayer mode that allows up to 32 players to play together. These versions also include new game modes.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a version of Call of Duty 2 created by Treyarch. It is based on the experiences of the American 1st Infantry Division during World War II. The game was released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.

Call of Duty: World at War – Final Fronts is the PlayStation 2 version of Call of Duty: World at War. Developed by Rebellion Developments, Final Fronts includes three campaigns. These campaigns follow the U.S. fighting in the Pacific theater, the Battle of the Bulge, and the British advancing on the Rhine River in Germany.

Call of Duty is a N-Gage game, which is a portable version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a portable version of Call of Duty 3 for the PSP.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a Nintendo DS version of the 2007 Modern Warfare game.

Call of Duty: World at War is a Nintendo DS version of World at War.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is a Nintendo DS version of Modern Warfare 2. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but follows a different story and characters. Players take on the roles of the S.A.S. and Marines in campaign mode, with both groups working to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, the game shares the same setting as the main console game but has a different story and characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is a Nintendo DS version of Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified is a PlayStation Vita game in the Call of Duty series.

Call of Duty is a mobile version of the 2003 Call of Duty game for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty 2 is a mobile version of Call of Duty 2 for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty 3 is a mobile version of Call of Duty 3 for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Edition is a version of Call of Duty 2 for Windows Mobile devices.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a mobile version of 2007’s Modern Warfare for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty: World at War is a mobile version of World at War for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a mobile version of Modern Warfare 2 for J2ME devices. Developed by Glu Mobile, the game takes place in Mexico five years after Modern Warfare.

Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies is a first-person shooter game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision for iOS. It is a version of the Call of Duty series and is based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode from Call of Duty: World at War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobile is a mobile version of Black Ops for J2ME devices.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies is a first-person shooter game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision for Android and iOS. It follows Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is a first- and third-person shooter game developed by The Blast Furnace and published by Activision for iOS and Android. The game is set in 2020 and involves players leading a U.S. Joint Special Operations Team after the country becomes involved in a war with an unknown enemy.

Compilations

Call of Duty: The War Collection is a collection that comes in a box and includes Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, and Call of Duty: World at War. It was released for the Xbox 360 on June 1, 2010.

Canceled titles

Call of Duty: Combined Forces was an idea that was being planned as a follow-up game to Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, because of several legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision, along with other production challenges, the game’s plans and scripts were never completed. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was finished. Eventually, Activision decided the idea was more like an expansion to an existing game rather than a completely new one. This led the company to reject the proposal and end its agreement with Spark Unlimited shortly after.

Call of Duty: Devil’s Brigade was a canceled first-person shooter game for the Xbox 360 made by Underground Entertainment. The game was set during World War II and focused mainly on the Italian Campaign.

In 2010, after conflicts within Infinity Ward and the departure of Jason West and Vince Zampella, the studio Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction version of the Call of Duty franchise. This project tested ideas like low-gravity gameplay and other features of the game engine. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. Footage of the project, called Future Warfare, was shared online in January 2024. This footage showed a complete opening mission and an in-progress multiplayer mode that still used assets from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). After the leaks, a former Neversoft developer named Brian Bright confirmed the leaks, stating the game had two or three completed missions and a lot of multiplayer work. He called the project "NX1" and said it was meant to be released in 2013 instead of Ghosts.

Call of Duty: Vietnam was a third-person shooter set during the Vietnam War. It was being developed for at least six to eight months by Sledgehammer Games. The development stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after employee firings and departures in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled third- and first-person video game in the Call of Duty franchise made by Vicarious Visions. The game was set in ancient Rome and allowed players to control Julius Caesar, along with "low grunts" and officers from the Tenth Legion. The project was canceled because Activision had concerns about labeling it as a Call of Duty title.

Between 2012 and 2013, Raven Software was working on a stand-alone Call of Duty Zombies game. This happened after Treyarch decided to focus on the single-player and multiplayer parts of their next game, Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015), instead of the traditional Black Ops Zombies mode. The game was designed to be free to play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. In April 2024, a former lead designer at Raven, Michael Gulmmelt, confirmed the leaks and said Raven canceled the project after Treyarch changed their plans. They decided that Raven’s game would create competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story explains the past of the character Simon "Ghost" Riley. The series is published by WildStorm, and the first issue was released on November 10, 2009, at the same time as the game.

Call of Duty: Zombies is a six-part comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. This series connects to the Zombies game mode in the Black Ops subseries made by Treyarch. The series was written by Justin Jordan, Treyarch’s Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston. The artwork was done by Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors were added by Dan Jackson. The cover art was created by Simon Bisley. Treyarch announced the series in July 2016, with the first issue planned for October 2016. After a short delay, the first issue came out on October 26, 2016. The other five issues were released in 2017: issue #2 on January 11, 2017; issue #3 on March 1, 2017; issue #4 on April 19, 2017; issue #5 on June 21, 2017; and issue #6 on August 23, 2017. A paperback version with all six issues was released on November 15, 2017.

In 2004, Activision worked with Plan-B Toys and Radioactive Clown to create the "Call of Duty: Series 1" action figures. This set included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from World War II. The American G.I. figure was made in 2004, but Plan-B Toys later stopped selling a controversial Nazi SS Guard figure based on a character from Call of Duty. In 2008, McFarlane Toys partnered with Activision to make action figures for the Call of Duty series. Their first set, released in October 2008, included four figures: a Marine with a flamethrower, a Marine Infantry, a British Special Ops soldier, and a Marine with a machine gun.

Find Makarov is a fan-made film that received positive feedback from Activision. The company contacted We Can Pretend, leading to the creation of a second short film called Operation Kingfish.

Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish is a fan-made prequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It was first shown at Call of Duty XP. The video was made by We Can Pretend, with special effects by The Junction, and was supported by Activision. It tells the story of how Captain Price ended up in a Russian Gulag before the events of Modern Warfare 2.

On November 6, 2015, when Black Ops III was released, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Activision Blizzard started a new production studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. They planned to create a live-action Call of Duty movie series by 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was announced as the director. Soon after, he told Metro UK that he was considering casting Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as the main actors. In an interview with FilmSlash, Sollima said the film would focus on real soldiers, not war stories. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was announced as the writer for the sequel. Filming for the first movie was expected to begin in Spring 2019, with a release in 2020 or 2021. In February 2020, Sollima said the film had been paused because it was not a top priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, announced a deal to create a live-action film based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was named the director, with Taylor Sheridan co-writing the screenplay and co-producing with Berg. On April 15, 2026, it was announced that the film will be released on June 30, 2028.

Esports

The Call of Duty games became part of esports competitions starting in 2006, along with the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Over time, the series added more games, including Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Call of Duty: Mobile. These games are played in leagues such as Major League Gaming.

Players can compete in ladders or tournaments. Ladders are divided into categories, such as singles ladder, doubles ladder, team ladder (3v3 – 6v6), and hardcore team ladder (3v3 – 6v6). The regular team ladder and the hardcore team ladder differ in their in-game settings and rules. Winning ladder matches on competitive websites gives players experience points, which contribute to their overall rank.

Tournaments on these websites allow players to win cash prizes and trophies. Trophies are saved on the player's profile if they win a tournament, and prize money is sent to their bank account. Call of Duty: Ghosts was the most played game in competitive play in 2014, with an average of 15,000 teams participating each season.

For the past 6 seasons in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University hosted a prize giveaway, giving $2,500 to the top team each season. Other ladders give players credits and medals saved on their profiles. Tournaments in Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Arena cost between 15 and 30 credits, averaging about $18.75 per tournament. If a player competes in a team, prize money is split equally among all team members. Other tournaments with large prizes are held in specific cities and countries for LAN teams.

The largest Call of Duty tournament was Call of Duty: Experience 2011, which started when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released.

Competitive Call of Duty is most popular in Europe and North America, with players participating in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

In January 2020, Activision launched a 12-team Call of Duty League, using a city-based structure similar to the Overwatch League. The league includes teams from Atlanta, Boston, the Carolinas, Las Vegas, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Seattle, Texas, and Toronto, with two teams from Los Angeles: the Los Angeles Thieves and Los Angeles Guerrillas.

Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) is a nonprofit foundation started by Activision Blizzard to help U.S. military veterans find jobs. The first donation, which was $125,000, was given to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

General James L. Jones, who is a co-chairman, previously worked as the U.S. National Security Advisor. Robert Kotick, the founder, is the CEO of Activision Blizzard. When CODE was created in 2009, it promised to create thousands of job opportunities for veterans, including those returning from the Middle East. Each year, the endowment gives out the "Seal of Distinction," a $30,000 grant to chosen veteran service organizations. In November 2014, CODE began the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and support organizations that help veterans. By 2015, CODE had given about $12 million in grants to U.S. veterans' organizations, which helped 14,700 veterans find jobs.

On March 30, 2010, CODE gave 3,000 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, worth about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. These copies were sent to more than 300 ships and submarines, as well as Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty series has faced criticism for its focus on Western perspectives, oversimplified portrayals of different groups, and emphasis on military power, according to The Guardian's Keith Stuart. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted the series often appears to support military and gun-related themes, sometimes even showing strong national pride. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker wrote that the series appeals to both political sides because of its traditional views, and he criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are neutral, saying they now strongly reflect right-wing ideas. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer pointed out that the marketing for Call of Duty: WWII suggested the game was made to show the horrors of war, but the trailer instead seemed to praise a difficult but noble war in a way that was not deeply meaningful.

Critics have also pointed out how the series represents different ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab game industry members, said the series has historically shown these groups unfairly, using harmful stereotypes and making the Middle East seem unappealing. They noted the series sometimes creates fictional areas that give the false impression there is only one type of Middle Eastern country. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoids being accused of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are shown as good, but these characters are not explored in depth. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the series' portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is an oversimplification, similar to attitudes that led to U.S. involvement in wars.

Some critics say the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games show U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral doubts, support military action, and spread incorrect ideas about real wars. She questioned if the games could move past glorifying the U.S. military to tell honest stories about war's cruelty. Mayall wrote that the series makes military action seem effective and clean while ignoring its negative effects, giving people a misleading view of military intervention. He said this portrayal harms understanding by making war seem like the best way to handle foreign issues. Gregory Lawrence noted the series surprisingly does not always favor the U.S. military, pointing to a Modern Warfare reboot where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some people have linked the series' bias to the U.S. government's relationship with the entertainment industry. Kaur said Call of Duty is an example of how the government has used media since World War II to promote its views. Mayall mentioned the Pentagon has worked on over 1,000 movies and many video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer about propaganda, called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II a psychological operation for the U.S. Some people believe the series' creators have ties to the government. For example, Dave Anthony, a writer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, said he was contacted by a former Pentagon official to join a panel about future warfare and later joined a think tank that advises on military threats. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some said the U.S. military used the series to recruit people, but this plan was stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard were made public.

In 2007, when Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella began new contract talks with Activision, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. West and Zampella were later forced to leave Infinity Ward and formed Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They and some other Infinity Ward employees sued Activision over unpaid money.

Modern Warfare 2 caused controversy because of a level called "No Russian," where players participate in a civilian massacre at a Russian airport.

AM General, the maker of the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the vehicle in Call of Duty games. In 2020, a federal judge dismissed the case, saying the use of the Humvee in the games to show realism was different from AM General's goal of selling to the military.