All Call of Duty games in order – Dexerto

Call of Duty’s future on PlayStation is in jeopardy if Microsoft purchases Activision Blizzard.

The Call of Duty games have been going strong for 20 years now, leaving many players wondering about their order of release and just how many Call of Duty games there are. Here are all of the Call of Duty games in order, from the first-ever game to its most recent addition.

Video game franchises don’t come much bigger than Call of Duty. Since the series first arrived in the early 2000s, it’s gone on to become one of the best-selling franchises of all time, releasing a number of classic FPS titles along the way.

However, with so many Call of Duty games on the market, knowing which came first and which is the most recent can be a challenge. With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of all the Call of Duty games in order of release, from the very first installment to the most recent.

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How many Call of Duty games are there?

Before we reveal all Call of Duty games in order, it’s important to know how many Call of Duty games there actually are. Currently, there are 21 mainline Call of Duty games including Warzone and Warzone 2.0.

The most recent additions were that of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, both of which were released in the latter half of 2022.

Call of Duty (2003)

Activision

Where it all began.

• Release date: October 29, 2003
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Sales: 4.5 million
• Platforms: PC, Mac, N-Gage

The iconic FPS series kicked off in 2003 with Call of Duty, released as a direct rival to the popular Medal of Honor games. However, CoD quickly stole the show thanks to its unique WWII campaign, showing the conflict from American, British, and Soviet perspectives, as well as its multiplayer component.

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While it may look and feel basic now, this was the first sign of what was to come later down the line.

Call of Duty 2 (2005)

Activision

Call of Duty 2 saw the series get even closer to the games we know today.

• Release date: October 25, 2003
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Sales: 5.9 million
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PC, Mac

Sticking in World War II, Call of Duty 2 marked the first time that the series appeared on consoles, and was widely praised for its impressive graphics and four distinct campaigns.

Call of Duty 2 also saw the debut of a number of features that have become standard in the FPS genre in the years since, including regenerating health and a marker on the HUD to show when a grenade lands nearby.

Call of Duty 3 (2006)

Activision

CoD 3 was the last release before the franchise took over the mainstream.

• Release date: November 7, 2006
• Developer: Treyarch
• Sales: 7.2 million
• Platforms: PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC

Here we welcome Treyarch into the fold for the first time, developing Call of Duty 3 as the series moved into the yearly release schedule we’ve become accustomed to.

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With CoD 3, multiplayer was beginning to play a more significant role, although it’s hard to imagine anyone could predict what would happen next.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

Activision

Is All Ghillied Up the best mission in CoD history?

• Release date: November 6, 2007
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Sales: 15.7 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC

After a year away, it’s no exaggeration to say that Infinity Ward redefined the FPS genre when it released Call of Duty 4, placing CoD in a league that no one else could touch.

Aside from its stellar present-day campaign, featuring moments and characters that are still remembered to this day, its multiplayer found a formula that would change the industry forever. It’s gone on to be regarded as one of the best games ever made, and you’ll get no argument from us.

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Call of Duty: World at War (2008)

Activision

Nazi Zombies became an instant hit when World at War was released.

• Release date: November 11, 2008
• Developer: Treyarch
• Sales: 15.7 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, DS, PC

The next Call of Duty game in order is World of War, which saw Treyarch take the series back to WWII, but this time with the progression and perks systems introduced by Infinity Ward a year prior.

World at War was also the first CoD to introduce Nazi Zombies, a mode that would become incredibly successful as the years rolled on, and begin the trend of each game launching with three modes; campaign, multiplayer, and a co-op element.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

Activision

Modern Warfare 2 is still one of the CoD series’ most popular games.

• Release date: November 10, 2009
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Sales: 25.02 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

If CoD 4 hit on a formula, then many would argue that it was perfect by Modern Warfare 2. The follow-up doubled down on everything the original got right, delivering an exceptional story and instantly classic maps like Rust, Highrise, and Favela.

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13 years on, Modern Warfare 2 is still the best game in the series according to many fans.

Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)

Activision

Treyarch moved to a whole new time period with Black Ops.

• Release date: November 9, 2010
• Developer: Treyarch
• Sales: 30.72 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, DS, PC

2010 saw Treyarch tread new ground with the first game in the now beloved Black Ops titles, expanding on the Zombies idea and shifting to a Cold War setting.

Its gripping, unique campaign remains one of the most memorable that Call of Duty has to offer, and paved the way for the only sub-series that can rival Modern Warfare in terms of popularity.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)

Activision

Following up Modern Warfare 2 was no easy task, but that’s what Infinity Ward did.

• Release date: November 8, 2011
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Sales: 30.71 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PC

Rounding out the original Modern Warfare trilogy, Infinity Ward offered players yet another standout campaign, concluding the event started by CoD 4 in a dramatic and satisfying way.

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While its multiplayer often doesn’t get the props it deserves, it still has a collection of exciting guns and diverse maps that any other series would be envious of.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)

Activision

BLOPs 2 is still the best-selling CoD of all time.

• Release date: November 12, 2012
• Developer: Treyarch
• Sales: 31 million
• Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, PC

Next up on our list of Call of Duty games in chronological order, we have what remains the best-selling entry in the series to date.

With a branching campaign full of twists and turns and an addictive online multiplayer, including the Pick 10 system that changed class building forever, it’s no surprise that Black Ops 2 is considered one of the best CoDs out there.

Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)

Activision

Many have forgotten Ghosts, but Riley the dog will stay with us.

• Release date: November 5, 2013
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Neversoft, Raven Software
• Sales: 28.98 million
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii U, PC

It’s strange calling a game that shipped nearly 30 million units a flop, but that’s exactly how CoD: Ghosts is seen nearly a decade on from its release.

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Perhaps due to its unfortunate release between console generations, Ghosts has been largely forgotten by the community, and we’re still waiting for closure on that ending.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)

Activision

The introduction of Exo Suits would bring in a new era of CoD.

• Release date: November 3, 2014
• Developer: Sledgehammer Games, High Moon Studios
• Sales: 21.76 million
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC

Finally, we arrive at the first ‘jetpack’ game in the Call of Duty series. As Sledgehammer took the reigns on their debut entry, the controversial feature aimed to place more emphasis on movement as the franchise moved in a more futuristic direction.

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Advanced Warfare isn’t a bad entry on the list by any means, and it did kickstart a trend that would be improved upon in later years. However, it never came close to the love and adoration that some of the older games received.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)

Activision

Black Ops 3 seemed to perfect the jetpack formula.

• Release date: November 6, 2015
• Developer: Treyarch, Beenox, Mercenary Technology
• Sales: 26.72 million
• Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC

Of all the more futuristic CoDs to release so far, Black Ops 3 is the one that many would point to as the highlight. The ability to use thruster boosts gave multiplayer an extra degree of verticality that players seemed to really respond to.

It also saw the addition of customizable Specialists with unique, offering even more variety, crucial in franchises with yearly release schedules.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)

Activision

Not even Jon Snow could save Infinite Warfare.

• Release date: November 4, 2016
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Treyarch, High Moon Studios, Beenox, Vicarious Visions
• Sales: 13.6 million
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Infinite Warfare took quite the beating from the fans when it came along in 2016, and even the inclusion of Modern Warfare Remastered wasn’t enough to lift its sales.

After the third final entry in the jetpack era of Call of Duty took us into the stars, players had grown tired of the more and more outlandish settings and gameplay, begging for the next game to go back to basics.

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Call of Duty: WWII (2017)

Activision

WWII was another fun game, but didn’t capture the magic of the older titles.

• Release date: November 3, 2017
• Developer: Sledgehammer Games, Raven Software
• Sales: 19.82 million
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

With WWII in 2017, developer Sledgehammer Games finally answered the calls for a “boots on the ground” game, taking players back to where it all began – World War II.

This was certainly a breath of fresh air, but even the new War multiplayer mode couldn’t help CoD WWII challenge the likes of Word at War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)

Activision

Without Blackout, would Warzone have blown up the way it did?

• Release date: October 12, 2018
• Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software, Beenox
• Sales: 14.3 million
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Black Ops 4 was an interesting step for Call of Duty, partly because it was the first time that a single-player campaign wasn’t included and because it saw Activision dip its toes into the battle royale genre.

Although Blackout didn’t become the rival to Fortnite or PUBG that the devs hoped for, it laid the foundation for future success and is still remembered fondly by a portion of the community.

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Call of Duty Mobile (2019)

Activision

It was only a matter of time before CoD took over the mobile market.

• Release date: October 1, 2019
• Developer: TiMi Studio Group
• Downloads: 500 million+
• Revenue: $1 billion+

By 2019, publishers were beginning to realize just much profit there is in a quality free-to-play mobile title.

With more than 15 years worth of guns, maps, and modes to draw from, Call of Duty Mobile remains an incredibly popular game on Android and iPhone and is still going strong in 2022.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

Activision

Modern Warfare 2019 rebooted the MW name and was generally praised.

• Release date: October 25, 2019
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Beenox, High Moon Studios
• Sales: 30 million
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

After a few years of lower sales, Infinity Ward looked to breathe new life into the series by rebooting the iconic Modern Warfare games.

The likes of Captain Price, Soap MacTavish, and Gaz all made their return in a darker campaign that concentrated on the harrowing side of war, while the multiplayer was seen as a return to form.

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Call of Duty: Warzone (2020)

Activision

Warzone changed Call of Duty forever.

• Release date: March 10, 2020
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Toys For Bob
• Downloads: 100 million+
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC

If 2018’s Blackout dipped a toe in, then Warzone swan dived into the battle royale space and merged the very best elements of the genre with the CoD gunplay that players loved.

Two years and over 100 million downloads later, you could argue that no game has changed Call of Duty as drastically since Modern Warfare in 2007.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)

Activision

BOCW was yet another solid entry in the series.

• Release date: November 13, 2020
• Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software, Sledgehammer Games, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Demonware
• Sales: 30 million
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Treyarch took players back in time once again in 2020, opting for a 1980’s setting in Black Ops Cold War. As a sequel to the OG Black Ops, fan-favorite characters like Alex Mason and Frank Woods made their comeback, while the multiplayer was a fun ride with little that players hadn’t seen before.

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Ultimately, in a year where Warzone dominated, BOCW managed to rack up impressive sales and was well-liked upon release.

Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)

Activision

The latest WWII CoD didn’t hit with fans.

• Release date: November 5, 2021
• Developer: Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, Raven Software, Beenox, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Demonware
• Sales: 30 million copies
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Call of Duty Vanguard takes the series back to WWII once again, but it sadly couldn’t live up to expectations. While the signature CoD gameplay was certainly present, Vanguard fell flat thanks to a lack of innovation and a number of frustrating bugs at launch.

Activision has already mentioned that the game didn’t sell as well as first hoped, and attention quickly shifted to 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 to turn things around.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

Activision

Modern Warfare 2’s release continued to prove CoD’s dominance in the FPS market.

• Release date: October 28, 2022
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Beenox, Treyarch, High Moon Studios, Sledgehammer Games, Activision Shanghai, Demonware, Toys for Bob
• Sales: TBC
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Modern Warfare 2 is the latest installment from the Call of Duty franchise and it instantly seems to be a hit. Sales have hit a record high of more than $800 million worldwide following the first three days from its release, making it the most successful CoD launch of all time.

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The game is dominating the gaming charts and continues to be a huge success, despite having a few bugs and removing popular maps.

Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 (2022)

Activision

Warzone 2 has proven incredibly popular amongst BR fans.

• Release date: November 16, 2022
• Developer: Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Beenox, Treyarch, High Moon Studios, Sledgehammer Games, Activision Shanghai, Toys for Bob
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC

While keeping the original BR experience intact, Warzone 2.0 is different from what players were used to in the original game.

With an enhanced looting system, new weapons, and new modes of travel, Warzone 2 is set to stay and create a legacy of its own.

There you have it! That was all the Call of Duty games in order of their release. Hopefully, you enjoyed the journey through the series’ long history, and you can check out more CoD guides right here:

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