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 developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Other companies created some 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). Treyarch developed Call of Duty 3 (2006). Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) introduced a modern setting and became a very successful game, 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 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 last World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before creating Black Ops (2010) and starting the Black Ops sub-series. Six more games were made: 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 help from Raven Software. Sledgehammer Games, who worked on Modern Warfare 3, also made three games: Advanced Warfare (2014), WWII (2017), and Vanguard (2021). They are also the main developers 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 recognized by 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 made by Plan B Toys, a card game created by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets by Mega Brands, a comic book series published by WildStorm Productions, and a feature film that is being made.

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 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 developed 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 as they fight 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 beginning of special forces fighting a new threat near 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, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 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 sold 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 version for Nintendo DS, called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released with the game and the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 is a 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 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. When purchased, players 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. Because of a legal problem between Activision and former leaders of Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, and Raven Software made cosmetic changes to the menus. The game was developed only two weeks after Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released. Sledgehammer aimed to make it bug-free and set a high score goal on Metacritic.

The game continues the story from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and follows the fictional battle between the United States and Russia, which leads to 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 but includes characters like Captain Price from earlier games. 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, which was their first game in the main series. Treyarch and Infinity Ward made an agreement that the producer of each new game in the series would alternate 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 work on 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 begin a three-year cycle where they would take turns making games. After Sledgehammer developed Call of Duty: WWII (2017), they started working on a new Call of Duty game with Raven Software, planned for release in 2020. However, differences in how they worked caused problems, so Treyarch took over control of the project to make development faster.

Free-to-play games

Activision announced Call of Duty Online in early 2011. The game had been in development for two years before its release. It is free to play in mainland China and is managed by Tencent. Activision no longer has the rights to publish Call of Duty and other games in China due to legal issues involving gaming consoles like the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Call of Duty: Heroes is a real-time strategy game created by Faceroll Games and published by Activision for Android and iOS devices.

Call of Duty: Mobile is a mobile version of the franchise developed by TiMi Studios, a division of Tencent Games. It was released globally on October 1, 2019. The game was first introduced at the Game Developers Conference on March 18, 2019. As of October 4, 2019, the game had reached 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. Warzone shares progress and uses items from Modern Warfare, Black Ops Cold War, and Vanguard after updates added content from these titles. Activision has stated that a mobile version of Warzone is being developed for a future release.

A follow-up to Warzone, originally called Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0, was released on November 16, 2022, as part of a content update for Modern Warfare II. After its fourth seasonal update, the game was renamed to Warzone. Like the original, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It was later integrated with items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also connects to Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile version that includes gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III, though it is played 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, in collaboration with other Activision studios. It allows players to transfer progress between Warzone Mobile, Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, but it does 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" phase. Its 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 version of Call of Duty for consoles. It was released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions include an online multiplayer mode that supports 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 in Germany.

Call of Duty is a N-Gage game, a portable version of the 2003 Call of Duty game.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a PSP game, a portable version of Call of Duty 3.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a Nintendo DS version of the 2007 Modern Warfare game.

Call of Duty: World at War is a Nintendo DS version of World at War.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is a Nintendo DS version of Modern Warfare 2. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different story 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 a Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different story and characters.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defiance is a Nintendo DS version of Modern Warfare 3.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a J2ME mobile version of Modern Warfare 2. 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 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 features 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 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, because of legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, Activision, and other issues during development, the game was never made. The project was expected to cost $10.5 million after Finest Hour was completed. Activision later decided the idea was more of an expansion to an existing game rather than a new one, which led the company to stop working with Spark Unlimited.

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 on events in Italy.

In 2010, after a split in the team 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 game would include new gameplay features, such as low-gravity environments. The project was later canceled, and some of its materials were used in later games like Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. In January 2024, footage from the project, called Future Warfare, was shared online. This footage showed a completed opening mission and an early version of multiplayer gameplay that still used assets from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). A former developer from Neversoft, Brian Bright, confirmed the leaks in April 2024. He stated the project had two or three completed missions and a large amount of multiplayer work. He also 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 being developed by Sledgehammer Games for about six to eight months. Development 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 in the Call of Duty series, developed by Vicarious Visions. The game was set in ancient Rome and allowed players to control Julius Caesar, soldiers, and officers from the Tenth Legion. Activision canceled the project because they were unsure about branding it as a Call of Duty title.

Between 2012 and 2013, Raven Software was working on a separate Call of Duty Zombies game. This was after Treyarch decided to focus on single-player and multiplayer aspects of Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) instead of the traditional Zombies mode. The game was designed as a free-to-play arena 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. He said Raven’s game would have caused competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on 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 connects to the Zombies game mode in the Black Ops subseries made by Treyarch. The series is written by Justin Jordan, Treyarch's Jason Blundell, and Craig Houston. The artwork is done by artist Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors are by Dan Jackson. The cover art is created by artist Simon Bisley. 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 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. 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 approved by Call of Duty publisher Activision. Activision contacted We Can Pretend, and they 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 was supported by Activision. The video explains how Captain Price ended up in a Russian Gulag before the events of Modern Warfare 2.

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

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

Esports

Call of Duty games became part of esports competitions in 2006, alongside 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 competitive websites earns 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 6 seasons in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University 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 to 30 credits, averaging about $18.75 per tournament. If a player competes in a team, prize money is split equally among team members. Other tournaments with large prizes are held in specific cities and countries for LAN teams.

The largest Call of Duty tournament was Call of Duty: Experience 2011, which began when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released. Competitive Call of Duty is most popular in Europe and North America, where players participate in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

Activision started the Call of Duty League in January 2020, following a city-based structure similar to the Overwatch League. The league includes teams 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 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 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 first grant to chosen veteran service groups. 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 work.

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 more than 300 Navy ships, submarines, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

The Call of Duty video game series has faced criticism for focusing too much on Western perspectives, using stereotypes, and showing an excessive admiration for military power, according to Keith Stuart of The Guardian. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot wrote that the series often appears to support guns and the military, and sometimes promotes extreme patriotism. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker said the series has broad support from both political sides because of its conservative approach. 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 being almost satirical. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer criticized the marketing of Call of Duty: WWII, saying the game’s message was not anti-war but instead praised a difficult but honorable war, 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 game industry members, said the series has historically used harmful stereotypes and unfair stories about these groups. This includes showing the Middle East as a place where truth and fiction mix and creating fake regions that suggest all Middle Eastern countries are the same. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoids accusations of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are not bad, but did not explore their values. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games’ enemies are shown as anti-Western, which is a simple and dangerous way to view the world, similar to reasons the United States has joined wars.

Some critics say the series has a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the games show U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral problems, support military action, and spread false ideas about real wars. She questioned whether the games could ever move beyond praising the U.S. military to tell honest stories about war’s cruelty. Mayall wrote that the games make war seem effective and clean while ignoring its negative effects, giving a misleading view of reality. He said this most harms the audience by making military action seem like the best way to handle foreign problems. Gregory Lawrence noted the series surprisingly does not always favor the U.S. military, citing the Modern Warfare reboot where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some people believe the series’ bias is linked to the U.S. government’s connection with entertainment media. 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 many video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer on propaganda, called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II a psychological operation for the U.S. Some people think the game’s creators have 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 panel about warfare and later joined a think tank that advises on future conflicts. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some reports say the U.S. military used the game to recruit people, but they stopped after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard.

In 2007, when Infinity Ward’s founders, Jason West and Vince Zampella, began new contracts with Activision, 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 Infinity Ward staff sued Activision for not paying them royalties and bonuses.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 caused controversy because of a level called “No Russian,” where players take part in a massacre of civilians at a Russian airport.

AM General, the company that makes the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the vehicle in multiple Call of Duty games. In April 2020, a federal judge ruled in favor of Activision, saying the use of the Humvee in the games was for realism, not for trademark purposes like selling to the military.