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 several spin-off and handheld versions. 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 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. It started the Modern Warfare sub-series. A remastered version of Modern Warfare was released in 2016. Two other games, Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were also made. The sub-series was later updated with Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare II (2022), and Modern Warfare III (2023). Infinity Ward also created two games outside the Modern Warfare sub-series: Ghosts (2013) and Infinite Warfare (2016).
Treyarch made one final World War II-based game, World at War (2008), before releasing Black Ops (2010). This started the Black Ops sub-series. Additional games in this 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, 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.
As of October 2023, Call of Duty has sold over 500 million copies. It has 100 million monthly active players across all platforms. The franchise earned $30 billion in revenue by 2022. The series is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the best-selling first-person shooter game series. It is also the most successful video game franchise created in the United States and the third best-selling video game franchise of all time. Other products in the franchise include 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 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 called 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, a version for N-Gage was developed by Nokia and published by Activision. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with a soundtrack and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (with game updates), and Deluxe Edition (which includes 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 made by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game takes place 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 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. It was released on November 7, 2006, and made by Treyarch. This was the first major game in the series not developed by Infinity Ward and 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 made 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 made 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 start of special forces during World War II to face new threats 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. It was made by Infinity Ward and released on November 7, 2007, for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A Mac OS X version was 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 on November 4, 2016, with Legacy Edition, Legacy Pro Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It was later sold separately on June 27, 2017, for PlayStation 4, and July 27, 2017, for Xbox One and PC. The game was made 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 made 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. The game follows the story of Call of Duty 4 and includes 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 and allows players to unlock cosmetic items in later games.
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 issue between Activision and former Infinity Ward executives, Sledgehammer Games helped develop the game, and Raven Software made cosmetic changes. The game was developed just 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 set a goal for high Metacritic scores. The story continues from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and shows a fictional battle between the United States and Russia that leads to a war between NATO and Russia.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the sixteenth game in the series and a reboot of the Modern Warfare timeline. The story is darker and more realistic than earlier games and is set in the Black Ops timeline, separate from other Modern Warfare games. However, characters like Captain Price return. The game was announced on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.
Call of Duty: Warzone, a battle royale game, was released in March 2020 as part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. It does not require buying the main game and reached 50 million players in its first month. Activision announced a sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare game on February 11, 2022, to be made by Infinity Ward. The game’s logo and title were revealed on April 28, 2022. Details about the multiplayer mode, Warzone updates, and a mobile version of Warzone were shown on September 15, 2022. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was released on October 28, with early access for pre-orders on October 20.
Call of Duty: World at War, made by Treyarch, is the fifth main game in the series. It was released after Modern Warfare and returns to the World War II setting, focusing on the Pacific theater and Eastern front. It uses the same game engine as Call of Duty 4 and was released for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS in North America on November 11, 2008, and in Europe on November 14, 2008. By June 2009, it had sold over 11 million copies. It serves as a prequel to Treyarch’s next game, Black Ops, which shares characters and story elements.
Primary developer rotation
In 2006, Treyarch released Call of Duty 3, their first main series game in the Call of Duty franchise. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed an agreement that each new game in the series would be made by one of the two companies in turn. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were creating a main series title for the franchise. This game was delayed to allow Infinity Ward to develop 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. 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, disagreements between the two companies led to Treyarch taking over the project to make development faster.
Free-to-play games
Call of Duty Online was introduced by Activision in early 2011 when the company first 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 managed by Tencent because Activision no longer had the rights to publish Call of Duty and other franchises in China due to a legal issue involving several gaming consoles, including the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
Call of Duty: Heroes was a real-time strategy game created by Faceroll Games and released by Activision for Android and iOS devices.
Call of Duty: Mobile is the franchise’s mobile game for iOS and Android devices, developed by TiMi Studios, a division of Tencent Games. It was released globally on October 1, 2019, after being first announced on March 18, 2019, at the Game Developers Conference. By October 4, 2019, the game had been downloaded more than 35 million times 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) but can be downloaded without owning the main game. The game shares progress and uses items from Modern Warfare, as well as Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, after updates added content from these titles. Activision has stated that a mobile version of Warzone is being developed and will be released at a future date.
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 and later included items and progress from Modern Warfare III. The game also shares progress with Warzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that uses gameplay items from Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III but plays on different 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 progress to be shared with Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, and Warzone 2.0, and uses gameplay items from these titles. However, it does not support cross-platform play with them. 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 supports up to 32 players. The game also features additional game modes.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is a 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 and was available on 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 for N-Gage devices. It is a spin-off of the 2003 Call of Duty game.
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is a portable version for the PSP. It is a spin-off of Call of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the Nintendo DS companion game for 2007’s 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. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but follows a different storyline and characters. In campaign mode, players control the S.A.S. and the Marines, both trying to find a nuclear bomb.
Call of Duty: Black Ops is the Nintendo DS companion game for Black Ops. Developed by n-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but follows 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 version of Call of Duty.
Call of Duty is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off of the 2003 Call of Duty game.
Call of Duty 2 is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off of Call of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 3 is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off of Call of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Edition is a version for Windows Mobile devices. It is a spin-off of Call of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off of 2007’s Modern Warfare.
Call of Duty: World at War is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off of World at War.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Recon is a mobile version for J2ME devices. It is a spin-off 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 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 devices. It is a spin-off 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 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 that was being planned as a follow-up to Call of Duty: Finest Hour. However, because of legal problems between Spark Unlimited, Electronic Arts, and Activision, along with other production challenges, the game’s plans and scripts were never completed. The game was expected to cost $10.5 million to create after Finest Hour was finished. Later, Activision decided the idea was more like an expansion than a completely new game, which 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 made by Underground Entertainment. The game was set during World War II and focused mainly on the Italian Campaign.
In 2010, after Infinity Ward split apart and Jason West and Vince Zampella left the company, Neversoft was asked by Activision to create a science fiction game in the Call of Duty series. This game would test new ideas, such as low-gravity gameplay. At some point, the project was stopped, and its materials were later used in Ghosts and Infinite Warfare. Footage from the project, called Future Warfare, was shared online in January 2024. This footage showed a complete opening mission and a multiplayer mode still using materials from Modern Warfare 2 (2009). After the leaks, a former Neversoft developer named Brian Bright confirmed the leaks, saying the game had two or three completed missions and a lot of multiplayer work. He 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 set during the Vietnam War. It was being developed by Sledgehammer Games for at least six to eight months. 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 that allowed players to control characters in ancient Rome, including Julius Caesar and members of the Tenth Legion. It was developed by Vicarious Visions but was eventually 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 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 named Michael Gulmmelt confirmed leaks about the project. He said Raven canceled the game after Treyarch changed its mind about making Zombies games and decided the project would cause internal competition.
Other media
Modern Warfare 2: Ghost is a six-part comic book mini-series based on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The story 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 added by Dan Jackson. The cover art is created by Simon Bisley. Treyarch announced the series 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 came out in 2017: issue #2 on January 11, 2017; issue #3 on March 1, 2017; issue #4 on April 19, 2017; issue #5 on June 21, 2017; and issue #6 on August 23, 2017. A paperback version with all six issues was released on November 15, 2017.
In 2004, Activision worked with Plan-B Toys and Radioactive Clown to create the "Call of Duty: Series 1" action figures. This line 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 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: 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, and they made a second short film called Operation Kingfish. Find Makarov: Operation Kingfish is a fan-made prequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It was first shown at Call of Duty XP. The video was made by We Can Pretend, with visual effects by The Junction, and it was supported by Activision. The story shows 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 production studio called Activision Blizzard Studios. They planned to make a live-action Call of Duty cinematic universe 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 considering casting Tom Hardy and Chris Pine as the leads. In an interview with FilmSlash, Sollima said the film would focus on real soldiers, not war. On November 27, 2018, Joe Robert Cole was announced as the writer of the sequel. Filming for the first film was expected to begin 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 announced a deal with Microsoft-owned Activision. The studio will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action film based on the Call of Duty franchise. In October 2025, Peter Berg was announced as the director, and Taylor Sheridan was announced as the co-writer and co-producer. 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 types, 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 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 competitive game in 2014, with about 15,000 teams participating each season.
For the past 6 seasons in competitive Call of Duty, Full Sail University has given $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’ Arena cost between 15 and 30 credits, averaging about $18.75 per tournament. If a player competes in a team, prize money is split equally among team members. Larger tournaments with big prizes are held in specific cities and countries for LAN teams.
The largest Call of Duty tournament was Call of Duty: Experience 2011, which started when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released. Competitive Call of Duty is most popular in Europe and North America, with players participating in tournaments and ladder matches daily.
In January 2020, Activision created a 12-team Call of Duty League, using 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 used to be the U.S. National Security Advisor. Founder Robert Kotick is the leader of Activision Blizzard. When it was started in 2009, the group promised to create thousands of job opportunities for veterans, including those returning from the Middle East. Every year, the endowment gives awards like the "Seal of Distinction," which is a $30,000 grant to chosen veteran service groups. In November 2014, the endowment began the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to ask gamers to donate money and help organizations that support veterans. By 2015, the Call of Duty Endowment 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, worth about $180,000, to the U.S. Navy. These copies were sent to more than 300 ships, submarines, and Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation centers around the world.
Criticism, controversies, and legal actions
The Call of Duty series has faced criticism for showing a focus on Western perspectives, using over-simplified and incorrect portrayals of different groups, and showing too much admiration for military power, according to Keith Stuart of The Guardian. Phil Hornshall of GameSpot noted the series often appears to support guns and the military, and sometimes shows strong support for national pride. Sam Biddle of The New Yorker said the series has broad support from people with different political views because of its conservative themes. He criticized Activision Blizzard for claiming the games are not political, saying they now promote ideas that closely match right-wing fantasies to the point of seeming like a joke. Tyler Wilde of PC Gamer criticized the marketing of Call of Duty: WWII, saying it claimed to show anti-war feelings but instead celebrated a brutal but noble war in a way that was no deeper than an action story.
Critics have also pointed out how the series represents ethnic and religious groups. Alyssa Mercante of Kotaku, along with Muslim and Arab members of the games industry, said the series has historically shown these groups in a way that makes them seem less human, using harmful stereotypes. This included portraying the Middle East as a place where truth and fiction mix, and creating fake regions that suggest there is only one Middle Eastern country. Gregory Lawrence of Inverse said the series avoided being accused of Islamophobia by including Muslim characters who are shown as good, but without exploring their values. Joe Mayall of The Progressive said the games' portrayal of enemies as anti-Western is a dangerous oversimplification, similar to attitudes that led the United States to join wars.
Some critics say the series shows a strong Western bias. Tessa Kaur of TheGamer said the series portrays U.S. soldiers as heroes without showing any moral doubts, supports military action, and spreads false ideas about real wars. She asked if the games could move beyond glorifying the U.S. military to tell honest stories about the cruelty of war. Mayall said the games exaggerate the success and cleanliness of military actions while ignoring the negative effects, creating a misleading view of reality. He said this most harms people by making military action seem like the best way to handle foreign issues. Gregory Lawrence said the series surprisingly does not show the U.S. military in a clearly positive light, citing a reboot of the Modern Warfare series where characters work for corrupt leaders.
Some people believe the series' bias is linked to the U.S. government's relationship 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 dozens of video games. Alan MacLeod, a writer about propaganda, said Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II was a psychological strategy for the U.S. Relationships between Call of Duty staff and the U.S. government have been seen as contributing to this. 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 and later joined a think tank that advises on future threats. Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games said the studio consulted a Pentagon advisor while making Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Some said the military used the games to recruit people, but stopped when reports of sexual harassment at Activision Blizzard were made public.
In 2007, as Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella negotiated 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, along with some staff who left with them, sued Activision for not paying royalties and bonuses.
Modern Warfare 2 faced controversy for including a level called "No Russian," where players take part in a civilian massacre at a Russian airport.
AM General, the maker of the Humvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the Humvee in multiple Call of Duty games. In April 2020, a federal judge dismissed the case, saying the use of the Humvee in the games to make them more realistic was different from AM General's goal of selling to the military.