Call of Duty (CoD) is a first-person shooter military video game series and media collection published by Activision, beginning in 2003. The games were first created by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Other companies made additional spin-off and handheld 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), while 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 additional games in the sub-series, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were later created. The sub-series was restarted with Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare II (2022), and Modern Warfare III (2023). Infinity Ward also made two games outside the Modern Warfare series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).

Treyarch released one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before creating the Black Ops sub-series with Black Ops (2010). 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 with Raven Software. Sledgehammer Games, who helped create Modern Warfare 3, developed three titles: 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 on 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 action figures by Plan B Toys, a card game by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets by Mega Brands, a comic book series by WildStorm Productions, and a feature film currently in development.

Main series

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game. It was released on October 29, 2003, and uses the id Tech 3 engine. The game was created by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It shows infantry and combined arms warfare from World War II. An expansion pack called Call of Duty: United Offensive was made by Gray Matter Studios with help from Pi Studios. Activision produced the expansion. The game follows American and British paratroopers and the Red Army. The Mac OS X version was made by Aspyr Media. In late 2004, a version for N-Gage was developed by Nokia and published by Activision. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with a soundtrack and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (includes game updates), and Deluxe Edition (includes the United Offensive expansion and soundtrack; in Europe, the soundtrack 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 available for purchase through Valve’s Steam platform.

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter and the sequel to Call of Duty. It was created by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game takes place during World War II and shows the experiences 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 Call of Duty series. It was released on November 7, 2006, and developed by Treyarch. This was the first major game in the series not made by Infinity Ward and the first not released for PC. It was available on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the series and was developed by Sledgehammer Games. It was released worldwide on November 3, 2017, for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in Europe and follows a squad 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 and was developed by Sledgehammer Games. Treyarch helped create 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 start of special forces fighting a new threat near the end of World War II in various theaters.

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. A Mac OS X version was released by Aspyr 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 the 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 version for Nintendo DS, called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released with the game and the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 continues the story from Call of Duty 4, taking place five years later and featuring characters like Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish.

A visually updated version of the game was released for PlayStation 4 on March 31, 2020, and for Xbox One and Windows on April 30, 2020. This version only includes the campaign mode and not multiplayer or Spec Ops. 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 the eighth main game in the series and the third in the Modern Warfare arc. Due to a legal problem between Activision and former leaders of Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, and Raven Software made cosmetic changes to the menus. The game was developed only two weeks after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released. Sledgehammer aimed to create a game with no bugs and high Metacritic scores.

The game continues the story from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and follows the fictional battle between the United States and Russia, which leads to a Third World War between NATO countries and ultra-nationalist Russia.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the sixteenth game in the series and restarts the Modern Warfare sub-series. The story is darker and more realistic than previous games. It is set in the Black Ops timeline but includes characters like Captain Price. The game was announced on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.

Call of Duty: Warzone, the second battle royale game in the franchise, was released in March 2020 as part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It does

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, their first main series game. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed an agreement that each new game in the series would be made by one of the two companies in turn. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were working on a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to allow Infinity Ward to create Modern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would produce the 2014 title, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would begin a three-year cycle. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they started working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, conflicts of interest between the two companies caused Treyarch to take control of the project to speed up development.

Free-to-play games

Call of Duty Online was introduced by Activision in early 2011 when the company first expressed interest in creating a large online game with many players. 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 was a real-time strategy game made 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, created by TiMi Studios, a part of Tencent Games. It became available worldwide on October 1, 2019. The game was first announced on March 18, 2019, during the Game Developers Conference. By October 4, 2019, it had been downloaded more than 35 million times 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) but can be downloaded without owning the original game. The game shares progress and uses 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 a content update for Modern Warfare II. After its fourth seasonal update, the game was renamed to simply Warzone. Like the earlier version, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II and later included items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also connects with Warzone Mobile, a separate mobile game that uses gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III but plays on different maps and modes.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile was a mobile battle royale game developed by Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Digital Legends Entertainment, and Solid State Studios, with support from other Activision studios. It allows players to use their progress from Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, but it does not support playing together across different platforms. The game was first released on November 30, 2022, in Australia, and on March 24, 2023, in Chile, Norway, and Sweden as part of a "Limited Release" phase. Its 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 is the first version of Call of Duty released for consoles. It came out for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions include an online multiplayer mode that allows up to 32 players. These versions also have new game modes.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a version of Call of Duty 2 made by Treyarch. It is based on the American 1st Infantry Division's actions during World War II. The game was released for the 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 focus on the U.S. fighting in the Pacific theater, the Battle of the Bulge, and the British advancing on the Rhine River into 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 PSP game, which is a portable version of Call of Duty 3.

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

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is the 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 storyline and characters. Players take on the roles of the S.A.S. and the Marines in campaign mode, with both groups working to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but follows a different storyline and characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is the 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 J2ME mobile version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.

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

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

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

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a J2ME mobile version of the 2007 Modern Warfare game.

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a J2ME mobile version of Modern Warfare 2. 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 based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode of Call of Duty: World at War.

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

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 is a follow-up to Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is a game that allows players to use both first-person and third-person views. It was developed by The Blast Furnace and published by Activision for iOS and Android. The game is set in the year 2020 and involves leading a U.S. Joint Special Operations Team during a war with an unknown enemy.

Compilations

Call of Duty: The War Collection is a collection of three Call of Duty games: Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, and Call of Duty: World at War. It was available 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 to Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, problems with the law between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision, along with other issues during development, caused the project to be canceled. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was finished. Later, Activision decided the idea was more of an addition to an existing game rather than a new one, leading the company to stop working with Spark Unlimited.

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 events in Italy.

In 2010, after some changes at Infinity Ward and the departure of Jason West and Vince Zampella, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. The game tested ideas like playing in low-gravity environments. At some point, the project was canceled, and parts of it were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. In January 2024, video footage of the project (called Future Warfare) was shared online, showing a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using assets from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2. A former Neversoft developer, Brian Bright, confirmed the leaks in April 2024, saying 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 game set during the Vietnam War. It was being developed by Sledgehammer Games for about six to eight months. The project was stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after many employees left in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game that allowed players to control Julius Caesar and members of the Tenth Legion during ancient Rome. It was being made by Vicarious Visions but was canceled because Activision was unsure about calling it a Call of Duty game.

Between 2012 and 2013, Raven Software was working on a stand-alone Call of Duty Zombies game. This came after Treyarch decided to focus more on single-player and multiplayer modes for Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) instead of the traditional Zombies mode. The game was meant 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 project was canceled after Treyarch changed its plans and decided Raven’s game would cause 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. The 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 created by artist Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors were added by Dan Jackson. The cover art was designed by Simon Bisley. The series was announced by Treyarch in July 2016, with the first issue planned for October 2016. After a short delay, the first issue was released 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 release the "Call of Duty: Series 1" line of action figures. This set included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from World War II. The American G.I. action 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 create action figures for the Call of Duty series. McFarlane's first series was released in October 2008 and 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. Activision contacted We Can Pretend, and they made 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 visual effects by The Junction, and it was supported by Activision. The video explains 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 created a new production studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. They planned to make a live-action Call of Duty cinematic universe in 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was announced as the director of the film. 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. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was announced as the writer of the sequel. Filming for the first film was planned to start in Spring 2019, with a release in 2020 or 2021. In February 2020, Sollima said in an interview that the film had been paused because it was not a priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures announced that they and Microsoft, which owns Activision, signed an agreement to develop, produce, and distribute a live-action film based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was announced as the director, with Taylor Sheridan helping to write 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

Call of Duty games became part of esports competitions in 2006, along with the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Over time, the series added more games, such as 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 like Major League Gaming.

Players can compete in ladders or tournaments. Ladders are divided into categories, including 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 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 a 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 about 15,000 teams participating each season.

For the past six seasons, Full Sail University has hosted a prize giveaway, giving $2,500 to the top team each season. Other ladders offer credits and medals that are saved on players' profiles. Tournaments in Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Arena cost between 15 to 30 credits, averaging about $18.75 per tournament. If a player competes in a team, prize money is split equally among team members. Larger tournaments with big 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, where players participate 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. Teams include those from Atlanta, Boston, the Carolinas, Las Vegas, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Seattle, Texas, Toronto, and 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 organization created by Activision Blizzard to help U.S. military veterans find jobs. The first donation, which was $125,000, went to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Co-chairman General James L. Jones was a former U.S. National Security Advisor. Founder Robert Kotick is the CEO of Activision Blizzard. In 2009, the organization said it would create thousands of job opportunities for veterans, including those returning from the Middle East. Annual awards given by the endowment include the "Seal of Distinction," a $30,000 initial grant given to selected veteran's service organizations. In November 2014, the endowment started the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and help organizations that support veterans.

By 2015, the Call of Duty Endowment had given about $12 million in grants to veterans' groups in the U.S., helping 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 went to more than 300 ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation centers around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty series has faced criticism for its focus on Western perspectives, the use of stereotypes, and the overemphasis on military power, according to Keith Stuart of The Guardian. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted that the series often appears to support the use of guns and the military, and sometimes promotes strong national pride. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker wrote that the series appeals to people across political views because of its conservative approach. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are not political, arguing that the series now strongly supports right-wing ideas to the point of seeming like a parody. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer criticized the marketing of Call of Duty: WWII, saying the game’s message was not anti-war but instead celebrated a difficult but honorable war in a way that did not explore deeper themes.

Critics have also pointed out how the series portrays ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab members of the games industry, said the series has historically portrayed these groups in harmful and untrue ways. This includes making the Middle East seem unwelcoming and confusing the line between real events and fictional stories. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse noted that the series avoids accusations of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are not bad, but he said the games do not explore these characters’ values or beliefs. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games simplify enemies as being against the West, a view that has led to real-world conflicts involving the United States.

Some critics argue that the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games show U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral questions, support military action, and spread false ideas about real wars. She asked if the games could move beyond glorifying the military to tell honest stories about the suffering caused by war. Mayall wrote that the games make war seem effective and clean while ignoring its harmful effects, leading people to believe military action is the best way to handle foreign problems. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series sometimes shows the U.S. military in a negative light, such as in the Modern Warfare reboot, where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some people believe the series’ focus on Western perspectives is linked 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 noted that the Pentagon has worked on over 1,000 movies and dozens of video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer on propaganda, suggested that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was a strategy to influence people’s thinking for the U.S. Some critics pointed out that members of the Call of Duty team have worked with the U.S. government. For example, Dave Anthony, a writer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, joined a think tank after meeting with a former Pentagon official. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted with a Pentagon advisor while creating Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some reports suggest the U.S. military used Call of Duty to recruit people, though these plans were stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.

In 2007, Jason West and Vince Zampella, founders of Infinity Ward, began new contract talks with Activision. Legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision, leading to West and Zampella leaving the company. They later started Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. West, Zampella, and some Infinity Ward staff sued Activision for not paying them royalties and bonuses.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 caused controversy because of a game level called "No Russian," where players take part in a mass killing of civilians at a Russian airport.

AM General, the company that makes the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the Humvee in multiple Call of Duty games. In April 2020, a federal judge ruled in favor of Activision, saying the use of the Humvee in the games was for realism, not for the trademark purposes AM General intended.