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 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), while Treyarch developed Call of Duty 3 (2006). Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) introduced a modern setting and became the series’ breakthrough title, 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 made. The sub-series was rebooted 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 making Black Ops (2010) and starting the Black Ops sub-series. Additional entries 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 also worked on 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 based on id Tech 3. It was released on October 29, 2003. The game was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game shows how soldiers and different military units fought during World War II. An expansion pack called 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 of the game 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 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. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. 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 game in the Call of Duty series. Released on November 7, 2006, the game was developed by Treyarch and was the first major game 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 follows a squad in the 1st Infantry Division as they fight on the Western Front, mainly during the events of Operation Overlord.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is the eighteenth game in the series and is developed by Sledgehammer Games, with Treyarch creating 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 shows the beginning of special forces fighting an emerging threat at the end of World War II in different parts of the world.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth game in the main series 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. 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 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that 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 released alone 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 game in the main series and the second 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
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 developed by one of the two companies in turn. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were creating a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to allow Infinity Ward to produce Modern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would make the 2014 title, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would take turns for three years. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they began working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, disagreements between the two companies led Treyarch to take control of the project to speed up development.
Free-to-play games
Call of Duty Online was announced by Activision in early 2011 when the company said it was interested in creating a large online game where many people could play together. 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. Activision lost the rights to publish Call of Duty and other games in China due to a legal issue 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, created by TiMi Studios, a part of Tencent Games. It was released worldwide on October 1, 2019. The game was first announced on March 18, 2019, during the Game Developers Conference. By October 4, 2019, the game had more than 35 million downloads worldwide.
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 said a mobile version of Warzone was being developed and would be released in the future.
A new version of Warzone, first 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, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It was later connected to items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game is also linked to Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that uses 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 help from other Activision studios. It allowed players to use their progress from Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, but it did not support playing together across different platforms. The game was first released in Australia on November 30, 2022, and in Chile, Norway, and Sweden on March 24, 2023, as part of a limited release. The first map was a version of Verdansk, which first appeared in the original Warzone. The game was officially released for iOS and Android devices on March 21, 2024.
Spin-off games
Call of Duty: Finest Hour was the first game in the Call of Duty series released for consoles. It came out for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions have an online multiplayer mode that allows up to 32 players. They also include new game modes.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a spin-off of Call of Duty 2. It was created 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, this game includes three campaigns. One campaign follows the U.S. fighting in the Pacific theater, another covers the Battle of the Bulge, and the third shows British forces advancing on the Rhine River in Germany.
Call of Duty is a N-Gage game, which is a portable version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a portable game for the PSP. It is a version of Call of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a Nintendo DS game that works with the 2007 Modern Warfare game.
Call of Duty: World at War is a Nintendo DS game that works with the World at War game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is a Nintendo DS game that works with Modern Warfare 2. It was developed by n-Space. The game takes place in the same world 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 a Nintendo DS game that works with the Black Ops game. It was developed by n-Space. The game takes place in the same world as the main console game but has a different story and characters.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is a Nintendo DS game that works with Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified is a PlayStation Vita game in the Call of Duty series.
Call of Duty is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.
Call of Duty 2 is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a version of Call of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 3 is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a version of Call of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Edition is a game for Windows Mobile devices. It is a version of Call of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a version of the 2007 Modern Warfare game.
Call of Duty: World at War is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a version of World at War.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a 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 is based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode from Call of Duty: World at War.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobile is a mobile game for J2ME devices. It is a 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. Players lead 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 became 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, legal problems and other issues caused the game's plans and scripts to never be completed. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was finished. Eventually, Activision decided the idea was more of an expansion than a new game, leading the company to reject the proposal and end its contract with Spark Unlimited shortly after.
Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was a canceled first-person shooter for the Xbox 360 created by Underground Entertainment. The game was set during World War II and focused mainly on the Italian Campaign.
In 2010, after a split within Infinity Ward and the departure of Jason West and Vince Zampella, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a sci-fi version of Call of Duty. This project tested gameplay with low gravity and other features of the game engine. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. In January 2024, leaked footage of the project (called Future Warfare) showed a complete opening mission and an in-development multiplayer mode that still used assets from 2009's Modern Warfare 2. Brian Bright, a former Neversoft developer, confirmed the leaks in April 2024, stating the game had two or three completed missions and a large amount 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 set during the Vietnam War. It was being developed for at least six to eight months by Sledgehammer Games. The project was stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 after employee firings and departures in 2010.
Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game that allowed players to control Julius Caesar and members of the Tenth Legion in 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 Black Ops Zombies mode. The game was designed to be free-to-play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. In April 2024, Michael Gulmmelt, a former lead designer at Raven, confirmed the project was canceled after Treyarch changed its plans and decided the game would cause internal competition.
Other media
Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story follows the past of the character Simon "Ghost" Riley. The series is published by WildStorm, and the first issue was released on November 10, 2009, at the same time as the game.
Call of Duty: Zombies is a six-part comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. This series connects to the Zombies game mode in the Black Ops subseries made by Treyarch. The series was written by Justin Jordan, Treyarch's Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston. The artwork was created by Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors were added by Dan Jackson. Simon Bisley designed the cover art. Treyarch announced the series 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, along with Plan-B Toys and Radioactive Clown, released 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 create action figures for the Call of Duty series. Their first series, released in October 2008, included four figures: a Marine with a flamethrower, a Marine Infantry, a British Special Ops soldier, and a Marine with a machine gun.
Find Makarov is a fan-made film that was praised by Activision. The company contacted We Can Pretend, leading to the creation of a second short film, Operation Kingfish. Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish is a fan-made story that happens before 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 story 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 studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. The company planned to make a live-action Call of Duty cinematic universe in 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was announced as the director. Soon after, he told Metro UK that he was considering casting Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as the 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 was expected to start in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. In February 2020, Sollima said the film was delayed because it was not a priority for Activision.
In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, announced a deal to develop, produce, and distribute a live-action film based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was named the director, with Taylor Sheridan co-writing the screenplay and co-producing with Berg. On April 15, 2026, it was announced that the film would be released on June 30, 2028.
Esports
The Call of Duty games became part of competitive gaming 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 types, including singles ladder, doubles ladder, team ladder (3v3 – 6v6), and hardcore team ladder (3v3 – 6v6). The regular team ladder and hardcore team ladder differ in game settings and rules. Winning ladder matches on a competitive website gives players experience points, which help them earn an overall rank.
Tournaments 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 gaming in 2014, with about 15,000 teams joining 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 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. 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, with many players joining tournaments and ladder matches daily.
In January 2020, Activision launched the Call of Duty League, which has 12 teams following 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 started by Activision Blizzard to help U.S. military veterans find jobs. The first donation, which was worth $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. When CODE was created in 2009, it promised to create thousands of job opportunities for veterans, including those returning from the Middle East. Each year, the endowment gives out the "Seal of Distinction," a $30,000 grant to selected veteran service organizations. In November 2014, CODE began the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and support organizations that help veterans. By 2015, CODE had given about $12 million in grants to U.S. veterans’ organizations, which helped 14,700 veterans find jobs.
On March 30, 2010, CODE gave 3,000 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, worth about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. These copies were sent to over 300 Navy ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities around the world.
Criticism, controversies, and legal actions
The Call of Duty video game series has faced criticism for its focus on Western perspectives, use of stereotypes, and emphasis on military power, as reported by The Guardian’s Keith Stuart. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted that the series often appears to support gun ownership and the military, sometimes even showing pride in national identity. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker wrote that the series appeals to people across political groups because it supports traditional views. 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 pointed out that the marketing for Call of Duty: WWII suggested the game was based on anti-war ideas and could help players understand the experiences of soldiers. However, he felt the game’s trailer instead celebrated a war as both brutal and noble, without deeper meaning.
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 gaming industry, said the series has historically shown these groups in harmful and unfair ways. This includes making the Middle East seem unwelcoming and confusing the difference between real events and fictional ones. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse noted that while the series includes Muslim characters who are not villains, it does not explore their values or beliefs. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games often show enemies as anti-Western, which is a simple and misleading view that has influenced real-world conflicts.
Some critics believe the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games portray 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 ever move beyond glorifying the U.S. military to tell honest stories about the harshness of war. Mayall wrote that the series makes military power seem very effective and clean while ignoring the harm it causes, giving players a wrong view of real-world events. He argued that this portrayal of military action as the best way to handle foreign issues does the most harm. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series surprisingly does not always favor the U.S. military, as seen in the Modern Warfare games, where characters work for corrupt leaders.
Some people have connected the series’ focus on Western ideas 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 shape public opinion. Mayall mentioned that the Pentagon has worked on over 1,000 movies and many video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer about propaganda, suggested that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was a psychological operation for the U.S. Some people believe that employees of the series have close ties 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 group discussing future warfare. He later joined a think tank that advises on future conflicts. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games, who worked on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, said the studio consulted with a Pentagon advisor about possible future threats to the U.S. Some sources said the military used the series to recruit new members, though plans to involve soldiers in esports events were canceled after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.
In 2007, as Infinity Ward’s founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella, began new contract talks with Activision, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. Eventually, West and Zampella were forced to leave Infinity Ward and later started Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They and some other employees from Infinity Ward sued Activision over unpaid money they were owed.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 faced controversy for a game level called “No Russian,” in which 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, stating that the use of the Humvee in the games to create realism was different from how AM General uses its trademark to sell vehicles to the military.