Call of Duty (CoD) is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Other developers created 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, with Infinity Ward developing 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 rebooted with Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare II (2022), and Modern Warfare III (2023). Infinity Ward also developed 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 releasing 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 collaboration 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 across all platforms. The franchise earned $30 billion in revenue by 2022. The series 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 in development.

Main series

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game created using id Tech 3. It was released on October 29, 2003. Infinity Ward developed the game, and Activision published it. The game shows soldiers fighting in 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 this 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 created by Nokia and published by Activision. Other versions for PC included Collector's Edition (with music and a guide), Game of the Year Edition (with 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 platform by Valve.

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 soldiers from 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. This was the first major game in the series not made by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not to be released on PC. The game 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 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 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 fight a growing threat at the end of World War II across different parts of the war.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth main game in the series and the first in the Modern Warfare timeline. Developed by Infinity Ward, it is the first game 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 remade 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

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, their first main series game. Treyarch and Infinity Ward made an agreement stating that each new game in the series would be produced by alternating between the two companies. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games said they were making a main series game for the franchise. This game was delayed to help Infinity Ward create Modern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was decided that Sledgehammer Games would make the 2014 game, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would start a three-year cycle. After Sledgehammer made Call of Duty: WWII in 2017, they began working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for 2020. However, there were disagreements between the two companies, so Treyarch took charge of the project to make the game 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. The game is free to play in mainland China and is hosted by Tencent. Activision lost the publishing rights to 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 developed 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 devices, developed by TiMi Studios, a division of Tencent Games. It was released globally 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 worldwide.

Call of Duty: Warzone is an online battle royale game developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software and released by Activision. The game was released on March 10, 2020, as part of Modern Warfare (2019). Players can download it without owning Modern Warfare. The game shares progression and uses gameplay 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 successor 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 previous version, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It was later integrated with gameplay items and progression from Modern Warfare III. The game also shares progression with Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that includes gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III, played on separate 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 allowed players to transfer progress between Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, and used gameplay items from these titles. However, it did not support cross-platform play with these 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 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. 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 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 companion game for 2007's Modern Warfare.

Call of Duty: World at War is the Nintendo DS companion game for World at War.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is the Nintendo DS companion game for 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 cast of characters. In campaign mode, players take the role of the S.A.S. and the Marines, who are trying to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS companion game for 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 cast of characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is the Nintendo DS companion game for Modern Warfare 3.

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

Call of Duty is the J2ME mobile version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.

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

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

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

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the J2ME mobile version of 2007's Modern Warfare.

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is the 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 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 the 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 players lead a U.S. Joint Special Operations Team after the country finds itself in a war with an unknown enemy.

Compilations

Call of Duty: The War Collection is a collection of three 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 a game idea planned to follow Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision, along with other production challenges, 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 expansion than a new game, leading them to reject the proposal and end their agreement 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 on the Italian Campaign.

In 2010, after Infinity Ward split up and Jason West and Vince Zampella left, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. The project tested low-gravity gameplay and other engine features. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. In January 2024, leaked footage of the project (called Future Warfare) showed a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using assets from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Brian Bright, a former Neversoft developer, confirmed the leaks in April 2024, stating the game had two or three completed missions and a lot of multiplayer work. He called the project "NX1" and said it was planned to release in 2013 instead of Ghosts.

Call of Duty: Vietnam was a third-person shooter game set during the Vietnam War. It was developed by Sledgehammer Games for six to eight months before being stopped. The project was paused 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. Set in ancient Rome, players could control Julius Caesar, soldiers, and officers from the Tenth Legion. The game was canceled because Activision was unsure about calling it a Call of Duty title.

Between 2012 and 2013, Raven Software was working on a standalone Call of Duty Zombies game. This happened 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 meant to be free to play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. In April 2024, Michael Gulmmelt, a former Raven designer, confirmed the project was canceled after Treyarch changed its plans, fearing the game would create competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series connected to 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 is linked 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 Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors were added by Dan Jackson. The cover art was done by Simon Bisley. The series was announced by Treyarch in July 2016, with the first issue planned for October. After a small delay, the first issue was released on October 26, 2016. The other five issues 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 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" 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 making 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 series was released in October 2008 and included four figures: Marine with Flamethrower, Marine Infantry, British Special Ops, and Marine with Machine Gun.

Find Makarov is a fan-made film that was praised by Activision. The company contacted We Can Pretend and helped create 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 was supported by Activision. The video describes 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 production studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. The company planned to create 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 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 movie was planned to start in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. 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 a deal with Microsoft-owned Activision. The deal allows the studio 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 that the film would be released on June 30, 2028.

Esports

The Call of Duty games became part of competitive gaming events 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 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, 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 saved on players’ profiles. Tournaments in the 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. 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 began when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released. Competitive Call of Duty is most popular in Europe and North America, with many players joining tournaments and ladder matches daily.

In January 2020, Activision started the Call of Duty League, a 12-team 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, worth $125,000, was given to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Co-chairman General James L. Jones is a former U.S. National Security Advisor. Founder Robert Kotick is the CEO of Activision Blizzard. When CODE was founded 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 for selected veteran service organizations. In November 2014, CODE started 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 veterans' groups in the United States, helping 14,700 veterans find work.

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. 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 showing a Western-focused view, using stereotypes, and focusing too much on military power, as reported by The Guardian's Keith Stuart. Phil Hornshall from GameSpot said the series often appears to support guns and the military, and sometimes shows strong patriotism. Sam Biddle from The New Yorker wrote that the series has support from both political sides because it resists change. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are not political, saying the games now strongly support right-wing ideas to the point of seeming like a joke. Tyler Wilde from PC Gamer said the marketing for Call of Duty: WWII claimed the game showed anti-war feelings, but the trailer instead celebrated a war that was harsh but seen as noble, without deeper meaning.

Others criticized how the series shows ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante from Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab game industry members, said the series has historically shown these groups unfairly with harmful stereotypes. This included making the Middle East seem unattractive, where facts and stories mix, and creating fake regions that suggest there is only one Middle Eastern country. Gregory Lawrence from Inverse said the series avoided being accused of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are good, but did not explore their values. Joe Mayall from The Progressive said the games' enemies are shown as anti-Western, which is a simple and dangerous view that led to US wars.

Critics say the series shows a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur from TheGamer said the games make US soldiers seem heroic without showing any moral problems, support military action, and spread false ideas about real wars. She asked if the games could move past glorifying the US military to tell honest stories about war's cruelty. Mayall said the games overstate how effective and clean military actions are while ignoring the harm they cause, making people believe military action is the best way to handle foreign issues. Lawrence said the series surprisingly did not focus much on showing the US military in a good light, citing the Modern Warfare reboot where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some say the series' bias is linked to the US government's military-entertainment relationship. Kaur said Call of Duty is an example of how the government has used media since World War II to promote its ideas. Mayall noted the Pentagon has worked on 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 US. Some people believe ties between Call of Duty staff and the US government contribute to this. Dave Anthony, a writer for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, said a former Pentagon official contacted him to join a panel about warfare, and he later joined a think tank in Washington. Michael Condrey from Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some said the US military used Call of Duty to recruit people, but stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard came out.

When Infinity Ward's founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella, began new contract talks with Activision around 2007, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. West and Zampella were forced to leave Infinity Ward and later started Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They and some other staff sued Activision over unpaid money they were owed.

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

AM General, which makes the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the Humvee in Call of Duty games. In April 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 vehicles to the military.