Call of Duty (CoD) is a military video game series and media franchise published by Activision. It began in 2003. The games were first created by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Other developers made several spin-off and handheld games. The most recent game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, was released on November 14, 2025.

The series originally focused on World War II. 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 more games, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were made. The sub-series was restarted with Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare II (2022), and Modern Warfare III (2023). Infinity Ward also made two games outside the Modern Warfare sub-series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).

Treyarch made one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before creating Black Ops (2010) and starting the Black Ops sub-series. Additional games in this sub-series include Black Ops II (2012), Black Ops III (2015), Black Ops 4 (2018), Black Ops Cold War (2020), Black Ops 6 (2024), and Black Ops 7 (2025). The last three games were made with Raven Software. Sledgehammer Games, who helped develop Modern Warfare 3, made three games: Advanced Warfare (2014), WWII (2017), and Vanguard (2021). They also led the development of Modern Warfare III (2023), the third game in the Modern Warfare reboot sub-series.

As of October 2023, Call of Duty has sold over 500 million copies and has 100 million monthly active players on all platforms. The franchise made $30 billion in revenue by 2022. The series is listed in 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 action figures made by Plan B Toys, a card game from Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets from Mega Brands, a comic book series from WildStorm Productions, and a movie currently being made.

Main series

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game based on id Tech 3 and was released on October 29, 2003. The game was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It simulates infantry and combined arms warfare during 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 ported by Aspyr Media. In late 2004, the N-Gage version 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 installment in the Call of Duty video game series. Released on November 7, 2006, the game was developed by Treyarch and was the first major installment in the Call of Duty series not to be developed by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not to be released on the PC platform. It was released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the series and was developed by Sledgehammer Games. It was released worldwide on November 3, 2017, for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in the European theatre and is centered around a squad in the 1st Infantry Division, following their battles on the Western Front, and set mainly in the historical events of Operation Overlord.

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

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is a remastered version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare that was released alongside the Legacy Edition, Legacy Pro Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare on November 4, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It was later released standalone on June 27, 2017, for PS4, and July 27, 2017, for Xbox One and PC. The game was developed by Raven Software and executive produced by Infinity Ward.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the sixth installment of the main series and the second game in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Activision Blizzard announced Modern Warfare 2 on February 11, 2009. The game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows. A Nintendo DS 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 several returning characters, including 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 only includes the campaign mode with no multiplayer or Spec Ops components. When purchased, players can unlock various 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 installment of the main series and the third installment of the Modern Warfare arc. Due to a legal dispute between the game's publisher, Activision, and the former co-executives of Infinity Ward—which caused several lay-offs and departures within the company—Sledgehammer Games assisted in the development of the game, while Raven Software was brought in to make cosmetic changes to the menus of the game. The game was said to have been in development only two weeks after the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Sledgehammer aimed for a "bug free" first outing in the Call of Duty franchise and set a goal for Metacritic review scores above 95 percent.

The game continues the story from the point at which it ended in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and continues the fictional battle story between the United States and Russia, which evolves into the Third World War between NATO allied nations and ultra-nationalist Russia.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the sixteenth entry in the Call of Duty series and is also a reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. The story has been described as darker and more realistic than previous Call of Duty games. It is set in the Black Ops timeline, separate from the other Modern Warfare games (however, characters such as Captain Price and other fan favorites from the series make a return). The game was officially revealed on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.

Primary developer rotation

In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, which was their first game in the main Call of Duty series. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed an agreement that stated the company responsible for making each new game in the series would alternate between the two studios. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games said they were working on a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to allow Infinity Ward to focus on creating 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 follow a three-year rotation plan. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII in 2017, they began working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, which was scheduled for release in 2020. However, disagreements between the two companies caused Treyarch to take control of the project to help speed up development.

Free-to-play games

In early 2011, Activision announced Call of Duty Online. This was when the company first showed interest in creating a Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game. By that time, the game had already been in development for two years. Call of Duty Online is free to play in mainland China and is hosted by Tencent. Activision lost the publishing rights to 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, at the 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). It can be downloaded without owning Modern Warfare. The game shares player progress and uses items from Modern Warfare, as well as Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, after updates added content from these titles. Activision announced that a mobile version of Warzone was 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, Warzone 2.0 was renamed to Warzone. Like the previous 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 shares progress with Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that includes gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III but plays on separate 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, in partnership with other Activision studios. The game allows players to use their progress across Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0 but does not support playing together with those titles. It 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 to join. 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. These campaigns feature 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 companion game for the 2007 version of 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. It was developed by n-Space. The game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different storyline and characters. Players take on the roles of the S.A.S. and Marines in campaign mode, with both groups working to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS companion game for Black Ops. It was developed by n-Space and takes place in the same setting as the main console game, but has a different storyline and characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is the Nintendo DS 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 a J2ME mobile version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.

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

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

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

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

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a J2ME mobile version of Modern Warfare 2. It was developed by Glu Mobile and takes place in Mexico five years after Modern Warfare.

Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies is a first-person shooter game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision for iOS. It is a spin-off of the Call of Duty series and is based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode from Call of Duty: World at War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobile is a J2ME mobile version of Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombies is a first-person shooter game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision for Android and iOS. It is a sequel to Call of Duty: World at War – Zombies.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is a first and third-person shooter game developed by The Blast Furnace and published by Activision for iOS and Android. The game is set in 2020 and involves players leading a U.S. Joint Special Operations Team after the country becomes involved in a war with an unknown enemy.

Compilations

Call of Duty: The War Collection is a collection that includes the 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 a planned game idea meant to follow Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, legal problems and other production issues between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision caused the game's plans and scripts to be abandoned. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was completed. Eventually, Activision decided the idea was more like an expansion than a new game, leading the company to reject the proposal and end its contract with Spark Unlimited soon after.

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

In 2010, after Infinity Ward split and Jason West and Vince Zampella left, Neversoft was asked by Activision to make a sci-fi 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). A former Neversoft developer, Brian Bright, confirmed the leaks in April 2024. He said the game had two or three finished missions and a lot of multiplayer work completed. He also called the project "NX1" and stated it was planned to release 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 in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game in the Call of Duty series made by Vicarious Visions. It was set in ancient Rome and let players control Julius Caesar, soldiers, and officers from the Tenth Legion. Activision canceled the game because they were unsure about branding it as 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 designed to be free-to-play and inspired by the Mad Max movies. In April 2024, a former Raven Software lead designer, Michael Gulmmelt, confirmed leaked details about the project. He said Raven canceled the game after Treyarch changed its plans and decided the project would cause internal competition.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book series based on the game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story tells about 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 connects to the Zombies game mode in the Black Ops subseries made by Treyarch. The series was written by Justin Jordan, Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston from Treyarch. The artwork was created by Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors were added by Dan Jackson. The cover art was designed by Simon Bisley. The series was announced by Treyarch in July 2016, with the first issue planned for October 2016. After a small 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 create the "Call of Duty: Series 1" action figures. This set included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from World War II. The American G.I. figure was made in 2004, but Plan-B Toys later stopped selling a figure of a Nazi SS Guard 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: 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 received praise from Activision, the game's publisher. Activision contacted We Can Pretend, and they 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 video explains how Captain Price ended up in a Russian prison before the events of Modern Warfare 2.

On November 6, 2015, when Black Ops III was released, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Activision Blizzard started a new studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. They planned to make a live-action movie series based on Call of Duty in 2019. On February 16, 2018, Stefano Sollima was 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 stories. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was announced as the writer of the sequel. Filming for the first movie was planned to begin in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. In February 2020, Sollima said in an interview that the film was paused because it was not a top priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, made a deal to create, produce, and release a live-action movie based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was announced as the director, and Taylor Sheridan was named as the co-writer and co-producer. On April 15, 2026, it was announced that the movie would be released on June 30, 2028.

Esports

The Call of Duty games were used in competitive gaming, starting in 2006, 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 like 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 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 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 offer 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 all team members. Other tournaments with large prizes are held in specific cities and countries for teams that play together in person.

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 players participating in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

Activision started a Call of Duty League with 12 teams in January 2020, 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 Los Angeles, which has two teams: the Los Angeles Thieves and Los Angeles Guerrillas.

Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) is a nonprofit foundation started by Activision Blizzard to help U.S. military veterans find jobs. The first donation, which was $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 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 awards, such as the "Seal of Distinction," which is a $30,000 grant for 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 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. These copies were sent to over 300 Navy ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty series has faced criticism for showing a focus on Western perspectives, using stereotypes, and emphasizing military power, according to Keith Stuart of The Guardian. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted that the series often appears to support guns and the military, and sometimes promotes pride in one’s country in an extreme way. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker wrote that the series has broad support from both political sides because it reflects traditional views. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are not political, saying the series now includes ideas that strongly align with right-wing beliefs 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 feelings and that playing as a soldier might help players understand others’ experiences. However, Wilde believed the game’s trailer instead celebrated a difficult but noble war in a way that did not explore deeper themes beyond action and drama.

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 unrealistic ways. This included making the Middle East seem undesirable 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 good, but these characters were not given deeper moral complexity. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games’ portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is a simple and dangerous view, similar to attitudes that led the United States to participate in wars.

Some critics believe the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the series shows U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral doubts, supports military action, and spreads false ideas about real conflicts. Kaur questioned whether the games could move beyond celebrating the U.S. military to tell honest stories about the harshness of war. Mayall wrote that the series overemphasizes the success and cleanliness of military actions while ignoring the negative effects, giving players a misleading view of reality. He said this most harms the public by making military intervention seem like the best foreign policy option. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series surprisingly did not focus too much on showing the U.S. military in a positive light, pointing to the Modern Warfare reboot, where players serve characters who are part of corrupt systems.

Some people have linked the series’ bias to the U.S. government’s connection 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 ideas. Mayall mentioned that the Pentagon has worked on 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 connections between Call of Duty staff and the government have been noted. 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. He later joined a think tank that advises on future conflicts. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted with a Pentagon advisor while creating Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some reports suggested the U.S. military had considered using the game to recruit players by paying streamers and organizing tournaments with soldiers and gamers, but this idea was abandoned after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.

In 2007, Jason West and Vince Zampella, founders of Infinity Ward, began new contract talks with Activision. Legal problems arose between Infinity Ward and Activision, leading to West and Zampella leaving the company. They later formed Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. West, Zampella, and some Infinity Ward staff who left with them sued Activision for not paying royalties and bonuses they were owed.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 faced controversy for a level called “No Russian,” in which players participate in a massacre of civilians at a Russian airport.

In 2017, AM General, the company that makes the Humvee, sued Activision for using the vehicle in multiple Call of Duty games. A federal judge ruled in favor of Activision in 2020, stating that the use of the Humvee in the games was for realism, which is different from the trademark purpose AM General uses to sell vehicles to the military.