Call of Duty (CoD) is a popular military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, beginning 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 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, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were later 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 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 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 co-developed Modern Warfare 3, created 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. Call of Duty 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 made by Plan B Toys, a card game by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets from Mega Brands, a comic book series published by WildStorm Productions, and a movie currently 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, and developed by Infinity Ward. Activision published the game. The game simulates infantry and combined arms warfare from World War II. An expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, was developed by Gray Matter Studios with help from Pi Studios and produced by Activision. The game follows American and British paratroopers and the Red Army. The Mac OS X version was adapted by Aspyr Media. In late 2004, the N-Gage version was created 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 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 on Valve's Steam platform.

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game 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 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 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 game in the Call of Duty 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 on 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 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 historical events from Operation Overlord.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is the eighteenth game in the series and 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 creation of special forces to face a growing threat at the end of World War II across different theaters.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth main series game and the first in the Modern Warfare timeline. Developed by Infinity Ward, it is the first game in the series not set during World War II. It was released for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 7, 2007. Mac OS X versions were 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 remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It 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 separately on June 27, 2017, for PlayStation 4, 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 main series game 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, 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 characters like Captain Price and "Soap" MacTavish.

A visually updated version of the original 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, with no multiplayer or Spec Ops components. Players who purchase 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 series game and the third in the Modern Warfare arc. Due to a legal dispute between Activision and former Infinity Ward executives, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, while Raven Software made cosmetic changes to the menus. The game was in development only two weeks after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released. Sledgehammer aimed for a "bug-free" first outing in the franchise and set a goal for Metacritic scores above 95 percent. The game continues the story from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and follows the fictional battle between the United States and Russia, which evolves into a Third World War between NATO allies and ultra-nationalist Russia.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the sixteenth entry in the series and a reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. The story is described as darker and more realistic than previous games. It is set in the Black Ops timeline, separate from other Modern Warfare games, but includes characters like Captain Price. The game was revealed 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 but does not require purchasing the main game. It reached over 50 million players in its first month.

Activision confirmed a sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare game on February 11, 2022, developed by Infinity Ward. The game's logo and title were revealed on April 28, 2022. During Activision's "Call of Duty NEXT" broadcast on September 15, 2022, the game's multiplayer was fully shown, along with details about the next version of Warzone and a mobile version of Warzone, both set to launch slightly after Modern Warfare II.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was released on October 28, with Campaign Early Access for pre-orders on October 20.

Call of Duty: World at War, developed by Trey

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 each new game in the series would be made by alternating between the two companies. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were working on a main series game for the franchise. This game was delayed to help Infinity Ward create Modern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would produce the 2014 game, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would begin a three-year cycle of development. After Sledgehammer made Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they started working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, disagreements between the two companies caused Treyarch to take control of the project to make development faster.

Free-to-play games

Call of Duty Online was announced by Activision in early 2011 when the company first 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 lost the rights to publish Call of Duty and other franchises in China due to a legal dispute 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 published by Activision for Android and iOS devices.

Call of Duty: Mobile is the franchise’s mobile game for iOS and Android, developed by TiMi Studios, a division of Tencent Games. It was released worldwide on October 1, 2019. The game 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 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 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 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, the game was renamed to Warzone. Like the original version, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It was later integrated with items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also connects to Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that includes gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III, though it is played on different maps and game modes.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile was a mobile battle royale game developed by Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Digital Legends Entertainment, and Solid State Studios, in partnership with other Activision studios. The game allows players to transfer progress between Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, and it uses gameplay items from these titles. However, it does not support cross-platform play with those games. The game was 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 on 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 feature 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 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. It was developed by Rebellion Developments. Final Fronts includes three campaigns: 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, 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. It was developed by n-Space. The game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different story and characters. In campaign mode, players control the S.A.S. and Marines as they search for a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. It was 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 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. 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 spin-off of the Call of Duty series and 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 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 follows players leading a U.S. Joint Special Operations Team after the country faces a war with an unknown enemy.

Compilations

Call of Duty: The War Collection is a set that includes three games: 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 follow Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, because of legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision, along with other issues during development, the game was never made. The project was expected to cost $10.5 million to create 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 soon 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 the year 2010, after Infinity Ward split up and Jason West and Vince Zampella left the company, Activision asked Neversoft to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. This game would have used low-gravity gameplay and tested new features of the game engine. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. In January 2024, footage of the project (called Future Warfare) was shared online, showing a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using assets from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). After the leaks, a former Neversoft developer named Brian Bright confirmed the leaks, explaining the game had two or three completed missions and a lot of multiplayer work. He referred to the project as "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 at least six to eight months. The project was stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after many employees left or were fired in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game in the Call of Duty series made by Vicarious Visions. The game was set in ancient Rome and let players control Julius Caesar, soldiers, and officers from the Tenth Legion. It was canceled because Activision was unsure about calling it 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 planned to be free to play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. In April 2024, a former lead designer at Raven named Michael Gulmmelt confirmed the leaks and said Raven canceled the project after Treyarch changed its mind about making Zombies games and feared the project would cause competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-issue comic book series based on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story focuses on the background 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-issue 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 is written by Justin Jordan, Treyarch’s Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston. The artwork is done by Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors are added by Dan Jackson. The cover art is created by Simon Bisley. The series was announced by Treyarch in July 2016, with the first issue planned for October. 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 collection 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 producing 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. Their first series, released in October 2008, included four figures: Marine with Flamethrower, Marine Infantry, British Special Ops, and Marine with Machine Gun.

Find Makarov is a fan-made film that received approval from Call of Duty publisher Activision. Activision contacted We Can Pretend, leading to the production of a second short film, 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 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 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 film’s director. Soon after, he told Metro UK he was considering casting Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as the leads. 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 for the sequel. Filming for the first film was expected to begin in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. In February 2020, Sollima said the film had been paused because it was not a priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, announced a deal for Paramount 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 co-writing the screenplay and co-producing with Berg. On April 15, 2026, it was announced the film would be released on June 30, 2028.

Esports

The 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, 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 types, such as the 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 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 recorded 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 in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University has given $2,500 to the top team each season. Other ladders award credits and medals that appear 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 all 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.

In January 2020, Activision launched the Call of Duty League, a 12-team league with a structure similar to the Overwatch League. Teams are based in cities such as Atlanta, Boston, the Carolinas, Las Vegas, Miami, Minnesota, New York, Seattle, Texas, and Toronto. Los Angeles has two teams: the Los Angeles Thieves and the 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, worth $125,000, was given 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. When CODE was started in 2009, it promised 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 given to selected veteran service organizations. In November 2014, CODE launched the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to encourage gamers to donate money and support organizations that help veterans. By 2015, CODE had given about $12 million in grants to veterans' groups in the United States, helping 14,700 veterans find jobs.

On March 30, 2010, CODE gave 3,000 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, valued at about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. The copies were sent 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 portrayal of military power, according to The Guardian's Keith Stuart. 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 traditional, conservative themes. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games were neutral on political issues, arguing that the games now push ideas closely linked to right-wing beliefs 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 seemed to celebrate war rather than show empathy for soldiers, despite claims it was made from an anti-war perspective.

Critics have also pointed out how the series represents ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab members of the gaming industry, said the series has historically used harmful stereotypes to dehumanize these groups. This included portraying the Middle East as a place where truth and fiction are hard to separate, and creating fictional regions that suggest there is only one type of Middle Eastern country. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse noted that the series avoided accusations of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are shown as positive, but without exploring their beliefs or values. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games' portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is a simple and dangerous way to describe complex issues, similar to attitudes that led to U.S. involvement in wars.

Critics have also pointed out a strong Western bias in the series. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games show U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral conflict, support military action, and spread false ideas about real wars. She questioned whether the games could move beyond glorifying the U.S. military to tell honest stories about the harshness of war. Mayall wrote that the games overstate the success and cleanliness of military actions while ignoring the harm caused, leading people to have a wrong understanding of real events. He argued this portrayal harms the public by suggesting military action is the best way to handle foreign policy. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series surprisingly did not focus too much on showing the U.S. military in a positive light, as seen in the Modern Warfare reboot, where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some critics 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 noted the Pentagon has worked with 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 psychological operation for the U.S. Some critics noted that members of the Call of Duty team have connections to the U.S. 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 future conflicts. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while creating Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some critics noted that the U.S. military once considered using Call of Duty as a tool to recruit soldiers, such as by paying streamers and organizing tournaments with soldiers, but stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.

In 2007, as Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella began new contract negotiations with Activision, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. Eventually, West and Zampella left Infinity Ward and formed Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They, along with some former Infinity Ward staff, sued Activision for unpaid royalties and bonuses.

Modern Warfare 2 faced controversy for including a level called "No Russian," in which players participate in a mass killing of civilians at a Russian airport.

In 2017, AM General, the maker of the Humvee, sued Activision for using the vehicle in multiple Call of Duty games. A federal judge dismissed the case in April 2020, stating that the use of the Humvee in the games to create realism was different from AM General's goal of selling vehicles to the military.