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 spin-off and handheld versions of the 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. Infinity Ward developed the first two games, Call of Duty (2003) and Call of Duty 2 (2005). Treyarch created 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, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were also made. The sub-series was restarted in 2019 with Modern Warfare, followed by 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 released one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before creating the Black Ops sub-series with Black Ops (2010). Additional games in the Black Ops 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 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 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 by Plan B Toys, a card game by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets by Mega Brands, a comic book series by WildStorm Productions, and a feature film currently in development.

Main series

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game based on id Tech 3. It was released on October 29, 2003. The game was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It 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 made 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 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 made by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not to be released on the PC platform. It was released 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 the European theatre and follows a squad in the 1st Infantry Division during battles on the Western Front, mainly based on the historical events of 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 birth of special forces to face a new threat at the end of World War II in 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 an updated 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 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 main game in the series and the second in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Activision Blizzard announced the game on February 11, 2009. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows. A Nintendo DS version, titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released alongside the game and the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4 and continues the same story, 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. This version only includes the campaign mode, not multiplayer or Spec Ops. Players who buy it can unlock cosmetic items in 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and 2020’s Call of Duty: Warzone.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the eighth main game in the series and the third in the Modern Warfare arc. Due to a legal dispute between Activision and former co-executives of Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, and 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 to create a game without any errors and set a goal for Metacritic review scores above 95 percent.

The game continues the story from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and shows a 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 game in the series and a reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. The story is 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 and other fan favorites. The game was revealed on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.

Call of Duty: Warzone,

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, 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 creating a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to allow Infinity Ward to complete 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 cycle. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they started working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, scheduled for release in 2020. However, conflicts of interest between the two companies caused Treyarch to take charge 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 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 no longer holds publishing rights for Call of Duty and other franchises in China due to a legal dispute involving most 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, developed by Tencent Games’ TiMi Studios. 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 launched on March 10, 2020, as part of Modern Warfare (2019). It can be downloaded 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 and will be released at a future date.

A successor to Warzone, originally named 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 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 these games. 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 to play together. 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 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. The game 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 portable version for the N-Gage. It is based on the 2003 game.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a portable version for the PSP. It is based on Call of Duty 3.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a portable version for the Nintendo DS. It is based on the 2007 game Modern Warfare.

Call of Duty: World at War is a portable version for the Nintendo DS. It is based on the main game World at War.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is a portable version for the Nintendo DS. It is based on Modern Warfare 2. 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 Marines in campaign mode, both trying to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a portable version for the Nintendo DS. It is based on the main game Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, the game 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 a portable version for the Nintendo DS. It is based on Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified is a PlayStation Vita game. It is part of the Call of Duty series and is based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode from Call of Duty: World at War.

Call of Duty is a mobile version for J2ME. It is based on the 2003 game.

Call of Duty 2 is a mobile version for J2ME. It is based on Call of Duty 2.

Call of Duty 3 is a mobile version for J2ME. It is based on Call of Duty 3.

Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Edition is a mobile version for Windows Mobile. It is based on Call of Duty 2.

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

Call of Duty: World at War is a mobile version for J2ME. It is based on World at War.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a mobile version for J2ME. It is based on 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. It was 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 version for J2ME. It is based on Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies is a first-person shooter game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio. It was 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. It was 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 finds itself 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 follow Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, problems with legal agreements 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 create after Finest Hour was finished. Activision later 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.

Call of Duty: Devil's Brigade was a canceled first-person shooter 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 a split at Infinity Ward and the departure of Jason West and Vince Zampella, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. This project tested new gameplay features, such as low-gravity environments. At some point, the project was canceled, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. Footage from the project, called Future Warfare, was leaked online in January 2024. This footage showed a complete opening mission and an in-development multiplayer mode that still used assets from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Brian Bright, a former Neversoft developer, confirmed the leaks in April 2024. He stated the game had two or three completed missions and significant multiplayer work. He referred to the project as "NX1" and said it was intended to be released in 2013 instead of Ghosts.

Call of Duty: Vietnam was a third-person shooter set during the Vietnam War. It was 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 many employees left the company in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game that allowed players to control Julius Caesar and other characters from 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 as a free-to-play arena and took inspiration from the Mad Max movies. Michael Gulmmelt, a former lead designer at Raven, confirmed the project’s cancellation in April 2024. He explained that Treyarch changed its plans and decided Raven’s game would create competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story focuses on the past of the character Simon "Ghost" Riley. The comic was published by WildStorm, and the first issue came out 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 comic was written by Justin Jordan, Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston from Treyarch. The artist who drew the comic is Jonathan Wayshak, and the colorist is Dan Jackson. Simon Bisley created the cover art. Treyarch announced the series 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 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 book 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" line of action figures. This set included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from World War II. The American soldier figure was released in 2004, but Plan-B Toys later stopped making a controversial Nazi SS Guard figure based on a character from the game. 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 film that was praised by Activision. The company contacted We Can Pretend, which later made a second short film called Operation Kingfish. Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish is a fan-made story that comes 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 special effects by The Junction, and it was supported 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 create a live-action movie series based on Call of Duty in 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was announced as the director of the film. Soon after, he told Metro UK that he might cast 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 stories. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was named the writer of the sequel. Filming was expected 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 priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, announced a deal to create 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 writing and co-producing it. On April 15, 2026, it was announced that the movie will 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, 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 singles, doubles, team (3v3 – 6v6), and hardcore team (3v3 – 6v6) ladders. 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 help determine 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 6 seasons, Full Sail University has hosted a prize giveaway, giving $2,500 to the top team each season. Other ladders award credits and medals that are saved on players’ profiles. Tournaments in Call of Duty: Ghosts’s 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, where many players participate in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

In January 2020, Activision launched a 12-team Call of Duty League, using a city-based structure similar to the Overwatch League. Teams are based in 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, worth $125,000, was given to the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Co-chairman General James L. Jones previously worked as the U.S. National Security Advisor. Founder Robert Kotick is the leader of Activision Blizzard. When CODE was created in 2009, the group 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" award, which is a $30,000 grant to certain veteran service organizations. In November 2014, the endowment began the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and support organizations that help veterans. By 2015, the Call of Duty Endowment 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, worth about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. These copies were sent to more than 300 Navy ships, submarines, and recreation centers around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty video game series has faced criticism for showing a view of the world that focuses heavily on Western countries, using unclear or unfair stereotypes, and glorifying military power. According to Keith Stuart of The Guardian, the series has been described as supporting gun ownership and the military, and even being overly patriotic. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker said the series appeals to people with different political views because it reflects traditional or conservative ideas. He criticized Activision Blizzard, the company that makes the games, for claiming the games are not political, arguing that the games now strongly support right-wing ideas to the point of being almost humorous. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer pointed out that the marketing for Call of Duty: WWII suggested the game was made to show the horrors of war and help players understand the experiences of soldiers. However, Wilde felt the game’s trailer instead celebrated a war that was both brutal and noble, without exploring deeper themes beyond action and drama.

Critics have also pointed out that the series has not always shown ethnic and religious groups in a fair way. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab members of the gaming industry, said the series has shown these groups in harmful and unfair ways, such as making the Middle East seem unwelcoming and confusing real events with fictional ones. They also criticized the series for creating fake regions that give the false idea that the Middle East is one single country. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoided being accused of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are shown as good, but the games did not explore their values or beliefs. Joe Mayall of The Progressive said the games’ portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is an oversimplification that has led to real-world conflicts, such as wars involving the United States.

Some critics believe the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games show U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral doubts, 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 suffering caused by war. Mayall said the games make military action seem effective and clean while ignoring the negative effects, giving players a misleading view of how wars work. He argued this portrayal harms understanding by suggesting military action is the best way to handle foreign problems. Gregory Lawrence said the series surprisingly does not always favor the U.S. military, as seen in the Modern Warfare reboot, where players fight for corrupt leaders.

Some people have linked the series’ focus on Western ideas to the relationship between the U.S. government and the entertainment industry. Kaur said Call of Duty is an example of how the government has used media to promote its views since World War II. Mayall noted that the U.S. military has worked with over 1,000 movies and many video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer about propaganda, said Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was a psychological operation for the U.S. Some people believe the series’ creators have close ties to the 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 said the studio worked with a Pentagon advisor when planning Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some reports suggest the U.S. military used the games to recruit soldiers, though this effort was stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard were made public.

In 2007, as Infinity Ward’s founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella, began new contracts with Activision to continue making Call of Duty games, legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. West and Zampella were eventually forced to leave Infinity Ward and later started a new company called Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They and some other employees from Infinity Ward filed lawsuits against Activision over unpaid money they were owed.

The Modern Warfare 2 game caused controversy because of a level called “No Russian,” in which players take part in a mass killing of civilians at a Russian airport.

AM General, a company that makes military vehicles like the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the Humvee in multiple Call of Duty games. A judge ruled in April 2020 that Activision could not be held responsible because the use of the Humvee in the games was to create realism, which is different from the company’s goal of selling vehicles to the military.