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 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 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. This game started the Modern Warfare sub-series. A remastered version of Modern Warfare was released in 2016. Two other games in the sub-series were Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011). 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 sub-series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).

Treyarch created one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before making Black Ops (2010) and starting the Black Ops sub-series. Additional games in this 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, made 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 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 from the United States and the third best-selling video game franchise of all time. Other products in the franchise include action figures made 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 movie in development.

Main series

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

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and the sequel to Call of Duty. Infinity Ward developed it, and Activision published it. The game is set during World War II and is experienced through 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 the 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 installment in the Call of Duty video game series. Released on November 7, 2006, the game was developed by Treyarch and was the first major installment in the series not to be developed by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not to be released on the PC platform. It was released on the 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 the European theatre and is centered around a squad in the 1st Infantry Division, following their battles on the Western Front, and set mainly in the historical events of Operation Overlord.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is the eighteenth game in the series and is developed by Sledgehammer Games, with Treyarch developing the game’s Zombies mode. It was released on November 5, 2021, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The story depicts the birth of special forces to face an emerging threat at the end of the war during various theaters of World War II.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth installment of the main series and was the first game in the Modern Warfare timeline. Developed by Infinity Ward, it is the first game in the series not to be set during World War II. The game was released for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 7, 2007. Download and retail versions for Mac OS X were released by Aspyr in September 2008. As of May 2009, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has sold over 13 million copies.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is a remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that was released alongside 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 released standalone on June 27, 2017, for PS4, and July 27, 2017, for Xbox One and PC. The game was developed by Raven Software and executive produced by Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the sixth installment of the main series and the second game in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Activision Blizzard announced Modern Warfare 2 on February 11, 2009. The game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows. A Nintendo DS iteration of the game, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released alongside the game and the Wii port of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4 and continues the same storyline, taking place five years after the first game and featuring several returning characters, including Captain Price and

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, which was their first game in the main Call of Duty series. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed an agreement that stated the producer for each new game in the series would alternate 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 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 follow a three-year schedule. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they began creating a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, disagreements between the two companies led to Treyarch taking control of the project to加快 the development process.

Free-to-play games

Call of Duty Online was announced by Activision in early 2011 when the company first said it wanted to make a large online game where many players could play together. At that time, the game had already been in development for two years. Call of Duty Online is free to play in mainland China and is managed by Tencent. This happened because Activision lost the rights to publish Call of Duty and other games in China due to a legal problem involving several gaming consoles, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

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

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

Call of Duty: Warzone is an online battle royale game made 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. Warzone shares progress and uses items from Modern Warfare, as well as Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, after updates added content from these games. Activision said a mobile version of Warzone was being developed for a future release.

A follow-up to 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, Warzone 2.0 was renamed to Warzone. Like the earlier 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 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, along with other Activision studios. The game allows players to use their progress from Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, and it uses items from these games. However, 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. 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 is the first console version of Call of Duty. It was released 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 include new game modes.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a spin-off of Call of Duty 2. It was developed by Treyarch and 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. It was developed by Rebellion Developments and 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 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 PSP game, 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. It was developed by n-Space. The game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different storyline and characters. Players take on the roles of the S.A.S. and the Marines in campaign mode, both trying to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. It was developed by n-Space and takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has 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. It was developed by Glu Mobile and 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 spin-off 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 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 sequel to 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 boxed set that 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 for a game that was meant to be the next in the Call of Duty: Finest Hour series. However, legal problems and other production issues between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision caused the project to be canceled. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was completed. Activision later decided the idea was more like an expansion to an existing game rather than a new one, leading the company to reject the proposal and end its contract with Spark Unlimited.

Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was a canceled first-person shooter game for the Xbox 360 created by Underground Entertainment. The game was set during World War II and focused on events in Italy.

In 2010, after Infinity Ward split up and Jason West and Vince Zampella left the company, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. The game would include unique gameplay features, such as low-gravity environments. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in other games like Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. Footage from the project, called Future Warfare, was shared online in January 2024. This footage showed a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using assets from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). A former Neversoft developer, Brian Bright, confirmed the leaks in April 2024. He stated the game had two or three completed missions and significant multiplayer work. He also called the project "NX1" and said it was planned for release 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 at least six to eight months. Development stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after employee departures 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 developed by Vicarious Visions but was canceled because Activision was unsure about branding 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 came after Treyarch decided to focus on single-player and multiplayer modes for Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) instead of the traditional Zombies mode. The game was designed to be free-to-play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. A former Raven Software lead designer, Michael Gulmmelt, confirmed the project was canceled in April 2024 after Treyarch changed its plans and decided that Raven’s game would create competition within the company.

Other media

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

Call of Duty: Zombies is another comic book series with six parts. It is published by Dark Horse Comics and connects to the Zombies game mode in the Black Ops series made by Treyarch. The series is written by Justin Jordan, Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston from Treyarch. The artwork is done by Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors are added by Dan Jackson. Simon Bisley created the cover art. Treyarch announced the series in July 2016, and the first comic was released on October 26, 2016. The other five comics came out 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 comics 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 soldier 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 movie that was supported by Activision. Activision contacted We Can Pretend, and they made a second short film called Operation Kingfish. Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish is a 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 approved by Activision. The story explains how Captain Price ended up in a Russian prison 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 studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. They planned to make a live-action movie series based on Call of Duty in 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was chosen to direct the film. Soon after, he told Metro UK he was thinking about casting Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as the main actors. In an interview with FilmSlash, Sollima said the movie would focus on real soldiers, not war. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was announced as the writer for the sequel. Filming was planned to start in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. 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, produce, and distribute a live-action movie based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was chosen to direct the film, with Taylor Sheridan helping to write the script and co-producing with Berg. On April 15, 2026, it was announced that the movie would 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 expanded with 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 earn 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 popular game in competitive play in 2014, with an average of 15,000 teams competing each season.

For the past six seasons in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University has given $2,500 to the top team each season. Other ladders award credits and medals saved on players’ 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 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, where players participate in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

Activision created a 12-team Call of Duty League in January 2020, 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 started 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. General James L. Jones, who is a co-chair of CODE, previously worked as the U.S. National Security Advisor. Robert Kotick, the founder of CODE, is the CEO of Activision Blizzard. When CODE was created in 2009, it aimed to create thousands of job opportunities for veterans, including those returning from the Middle East. Each year, the endowment gives awards, such as the "Seal of Distinction," which is 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 groups 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 the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, worth about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. These copies were sent to over 300 Navy ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty series has faced criticism for focusing on Western perspectives, using unclear stereotypes, and emphasizing military power too much, according to The Guardian's Keith Stuart. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot wrote that the series often appears to support guns and the military, and sometimes shows strong national pride. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker said the series is popular across political groups because of its traditional ideas. 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 joke. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer criticized the marketing of Call of Duty: WWII, saying it claimed to be based on anti-war feelings but instead praised a war as "brutal but noble" without deeper meaning.

Some critics say the series misrepresents ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab members of the games industry, said the series has historically shown these groups unfairly, using harmful stereotypes. This included making the Middle East seem unappealing and creating fictional regions that suggest all Middle Eastern countries are the same. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoided accusations of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are not villains, but did not explore their values. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games simplify enemies as anti-Western, a view that has led to real-world conflicts.

Critics have also pointed out a strong Western bias in the series. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the series portrays U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing moral doubts, supports military action, and spreads false ideas about wars. She asked if the games could tell honest stories about war's cruelty instead of glorifying the military. Mayall said the games overstate the success of military actions while ignoring their negative effects, making audiences believe military intervention is the best way to handle foreign problems. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series sometimes shows the U.S. military in a positive light, such as in the Modern Warfare reboot, where characters work for corrupt groups.

Some people link the series' bias to the U.S. government's relationship with media. Kaur said Call of Duty is an example of how the government has used media since World War II to shape public opinion. Mayall noted the Pentagon has worked with over 1,000 movies and dozens of video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer on propaganda, said Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was a psychological operation for the U.S. Some staff members have ties to the government, such as Dave Anthony, who joined a military think tank after meeting with a Pentagon official. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while creating Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some reports said the military once planned to use the games for recruitment by paying streamers and holding events with soldiers, but this idea was dropped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.

In 2007, as Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella negotiated new contracts with Activision, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. West and Zampella were later forced to leave Infinity Ward and started Respawn Entertainment at Electronic Arts. They and some former Infinity Ward staff sued Activision for not paying them royalties and bonuses they were owed.

Modern Warfare 2 faced controversy for a level called "No Russian," where players take part in a scene where they kill civilians at a Russian airport.

AM General, the company that makes the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the vehicle in multiple Call of Duty games. A federal judge dismissed the case in 2020, saying the use of the Humvee in the games was for realism, not for trademark purposes.