Call of Duty (CoD) is a first-person shooter military video game series and media franchise published by Activision. It began in 2003. The first games were created by Infinity Ward. Later, Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games also developed games in the series. Other companies made spin-off and handheld versions of the games. The latest 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 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 followed: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011). 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 series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).

Treyarch created one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before launching 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 helped make Modern Warfare 3, also created Advanced Warfare (2014), WWII (2017), and Vanguard (2021). They are the main developers for Modern Warfare III (2023), the third game in the Modern Warfare reboot sub-series.

By October 2023, Call of Duty had sold over 500 million copies. It has 100 million monthly active players on all platforms. The franchise earned $30 billion in revenue by 2022. Guinness World Records has recognized it 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 by Upper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets by Mega Brands, a comic book series 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 created by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It shows infantry and combined arms warfare from World War II. An expansion pack, Call of Duty: United Offensive, was made by Gray Matter Studios with help from Pi Studios and published by Activision. The game follows American, British, and Red Army soldiers. 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 sold through Valve’s Steam platform.

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter and the sequel to Call of Duty. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game is set during World War II and shows the experiences 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, it was developed by Treyarch and was the first major game in the series not made by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not released on PC. It was available for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.

Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the series and was developed by Sledgehammer Games. It was released worldwide on November 3, 2017, for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in Europe and follows a squad in the 1st Infantry Division during battles on the Western Front, focusing on events from Operation Overlord.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is the eighteenth game in the series and was developed by Sledgehammer Games, with Treyarch making the Zombies mode. It was released on November 5, 2021, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The story shows the creation of special forces to 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 a remade version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released with the Legacy Edition, Legacy Pro Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare on November 4, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It was later sold 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 supervised 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 with the game and the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 continues the story from Call of Duty 4, taking place five years later 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. 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 timeline. Due to a legal dispute between Activision and former Infinity Ward leaders, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, and Raven Software made 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 the first "bug-free" Call of Duty game and wanted high Metacritic scores. The story continues from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, showing a fictional battle between the United States and Russia that leads to a war between NATO and ultra-nationalist Russia.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the sixteenth game in the series and restarts the Modern Warfare timeline. The story is darker and more realistic than earlier games. It is set in the Black Ops timeline but includes characters like Captain Price. It was announced on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.

Call of Duty: Warzone, the second battle royale game in the series, was released in March 2020 as part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It does not require buying the main game. It had over 50 million players in its first month.

Activision confirmed a sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare game on February 11, 2022, to be made by Infinity Ward. The game’s name was revealed on April 28, 2022. Details about its multiplayer mode, Warzone updates, and a mobile version of Warzone were shared on September 15, 2022. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was released on October 28, with early access to the campaign for pre-orders on October 20.

Call of Duty: World at War, developed by Treyarch, is the fifth main game in the series. It returns to the World War II setting, focusing on the Pacific and Eastern Fronts. It uses the same software as Call of Duty 4 and was released for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS in 2008. By June 2009

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 producer for each new game in the series would take turns 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 make 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, planned for release in 2020. However, differences in how they worked caused delays, so Treyarch took charge of the project to help speed up development.

Free-to-play games

Call of Duty Online was announced by Activision in early 2011 when the company first said it wanted to create a Massively Multiplayer Online game (MMO). At 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 because of a legal problem with most gaming consoles, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.

Call of Duty: Heroes was a real-time strategy game created 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 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. As of October 4, 2019, the game had more than 35 million downloads globally.

Call of Duty: Warzone is an online battle royale game made 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, 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 for a future release.

A new version of 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 version, Warzone (2022) can be downloaded separately without owning Modern Warfare II. It later included items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also connects to Warzone Mobile, a separate mobile game that uses items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III in different maps and game modes.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile was a mobile battle royale game created by Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Digital Legends Entertainment, and Solid State Studios, along with other Activision studios. The game allows progress to be used across Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, but it does not support playing together with those titles across different platforms. It 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 compete together. These versions also feature new game modes.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a separate version of Call of Duty 2 created by Treyarch. It is based on the experiences of the American 1st Infantry Division 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: 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 of the 2003 game, created for the N-Gage platform.

Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a portable version of Call of Duty 3, designed for the PSP.

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

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized is a Nintendo DS version of Modern Warfare 2. Developed by n-Space, this game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but has a different story and characters. Players take the role of the S.A.S. and Marines in campaign mode, both trying to find a nuclear bomb.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a Nintendo DS version of Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, this 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 version of the Call of Duty series.

Call of Duty is a mobile version of the 2003 game, created for the J2ME platform.

Call of Duty 2 is a mobile version of Call of Duty 2, created for the J2ME platform.

Call of Duty 3 is a mobile version of Call of Duty 3, created for the J2ME platform.

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

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

Call of Duty: World at War is a mobile version of World at War, created for the J2ME platform.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a mobile version of Modern Warfare 2, created for the J2ME platform. Developed by Glu Mobile, this game takes place in Mexico five years after Modern Warfare.

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

Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobile is a mobile version of Black Ops, created for the J2ME platform.

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 boxed set that includes three 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 an idea that was being planned as a follow-up to Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, because of legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, Activision, and other production challenges, the game’s plans and scripts were never completed. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to make after Finest Hour was finished. Eventually, Activision decided the idea was more like an expansion to an existing game rather than something completely new. This led the company to reject the proposal and end its agreement with Spark Unlimited shortly 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 events in Italy.

In 2010, after Infinity Ward split up and Jason West and Vince Zampella left the company, Neversoft was asked by Activision to make a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. The project tested ideas like 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. Footage of the project, called Future Warfare, was shared online in January 2024. It showed a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using assets from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2. After the leaks, a former Neversoft developer named Brian Bright confirmed the leaks. He said the game had two or three completed missions and a lot of multiplayer work. He also called the project “NX1” and said it was planned to be released in 2013 instead of Ghosts.

Call of Duty: Vietnam was a third-person shooter game 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 many employees left or were fired in 2010.

Call of Duty: Roman Wars was a canceled game in the Call of Duty series made by Vicarious Visions. It was set in ancient Rome and allowed players to control Julius Caesar, soldiers, and officers from the Tenth Legion. The game 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 happened 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 leaks and said Raven canceled the project after Treyarch changed its plans. Treyarch believed Raven’s game might create competition within the company.

Other media

Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book series based on the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story explains the past of the character Simon "Ghost" Riley. The series is published by WildStorm, and the first issue was released on November 10, 2009, at the same time as the game.

Call of Duty: Zombies is a six-part comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series is connected 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 created by artist Jonathan Wayshak, and the colors are added by Dan Jackson. The cover art is done by Simon Bisley. 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 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" line of action figures. This line 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 selling a figure of a Nazi SS Guard based on a character from the game. In 2008, McFarlane Toys partnered with Activision to make action figures for the Call of Duty series. McFarlane’s 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 was praised by Activision. Activision contacted the creators, We Can Pretend, and helped produce 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. The video was first shown at Call of Duty XP. It was made by We Can Pretend, with special effects by The Junction, and 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 created a new studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. The company 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 that he was thinking about 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 start in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release. In February 2020, Sollima said in an interview that the film had been paused because it was not a top priority for Activision.

In September 2025, Paramount Pictures and Microsoft, which owns Activision, announced a deal 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 film will be released on June 30, 2028.

Esports

The Call of Duty games became part of esports in 2006, along with the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Over time, the series added more games, including Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Call of Duty: Mobile. These games are played in leagues such as Major League Gaming.

Players can compete in ladders or tournaments. Ladders are divided into categories, such as singles ladder, doubles ladder, team ladder (3v3 – 6v6), and hardcore team ladder (3v3 – 6v6). The regular team ladder and 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 six seasons in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University has held a prize event, 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. 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 play is most popular in Europe and North America, with many players participating in tournaments and ladder matches daily.

In January 2020, Activision launched a 12-team Call of Duty League, 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 Los Angeles Guerrillas.

Call of Duty Endowment

The Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) is a nonprofit group 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 grant for selected veteran service organizations. In November 2014, CODE started the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and support organizations that help veterans. By 2015, CODE had given about $12 million in grants to U.S. veterans' groups, 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. The copies were sent to more than 300 Navy ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation centers around the world.

Criticism, controversies, and legal actions

Critics have pointed out that the Call of Duty series often focuses on Western perspectives, uses unclear stereotypes, and overemphasizes military power. According to Keith Stuart of The Guardian, the series has been criticized for these issues. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted that the games often appear to support guns and the military, and sometimes promote strong national pride. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker said the series has broad support across political groups because it reflects traditional values. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are neutral, arguing that the series now strongly supports right-wing ideas in a way that seems almost humorous. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer said the marketing for Call of Duty: WWII suggested the game had anti-war themes and could help players understand the experiences of soldiers. However, he believed the game's trailer instead celebrated a difficult but noble war, without deeper meaning.

Some critics have also criticized 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 used harmful stereotypes to make these groups seem less human. This included showing the Middle East as an unattractive place where real and fictional events mix, and creating fake regions that suggest all Middle Eastern countries are the same. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoided accusations of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are portrayed as good, but without exploring their values. Joe Mayall of The Progressive wrote that the games' portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is a simple and dangerous idea that has led to real-world conflicts.

Critics have also noted a strong Western bias in the series. 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 harshness of war. Mayall wrote that the series makes military actions seem effective and clean while ignoring the harm they cause, giving players a misleading view of real-world events. He said this portrayal of military action as the best foreign policy choice does the most harm. Gregory Lawrence noted that the series surprisingly avoids showing the U.S. military in a favorable light, citing a rebooted Modern Warfare series where characters work for corrupt leaders.

Some critics have linked the series' bias 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 noted that the Pentagon has advised on over 1,000 movies and dozens of video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer on propaganda, suggested that Modern Warfare II was a psychological operation for the U.S. Some critics pointed to connections between Call of Duty staff and the U.S. government. For example, Dave Anthony, a writer for Black Ops II, said he was contacted by a former Pentagon official to join a panel about future warfare and later joined a think tank that advises on military threats. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while creating Advanced Warfare. Some reports suggested the military used Call of Duty to recruit soldiers, though plans to involve soldiers in esports events were canceled after reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard surfaced.

In 2007, as Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella negotiated new contracts with Activision, legal disputes arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. West and Zampella were eventually removed from Infinity Ward and later formed Respawn Entertainment with Electronic Arts. They, along with some former Infinity Ward staff, sued Activision over unpaid royalties and bonuses.

The Modern Warfare 2 game faced controversy for including a level called "No Russian," where players participate in a civilian massacre at a Russian airport.

In 2017, AM General, the maker of the Humvee, sued Activision for using the vehicle in multiple Call of Duty games. A federal judge ruled in favor of Activision, stating that the use of the Humvee in the games was for realism, not for trademark purposes.