Looking for a list of all Call of Duty games in order? In this guide, we’ve provided overviews on every game in the Call of Duty sereies.
Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game, available on multiple platforms, with the first game released way back in 2003. Since the release of its first game, this franchise has released several other games with coordinating sequels to each game. They’ve also created dozens of add-ons and downloadable content packs for each of their installments.
This guide breaks down all of the games released by the Call of Duty franchise since the first game in 2003.
Table of Contents
2. Call of Duty: Finest Hour (2004)
4. Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
6. Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (2007)
7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
8. Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
12. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
13. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
14. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
15. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
16. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
18. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)
19. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
20. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
21. Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
Call of Duty
Release Date: October 29, 2003
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty is the very first game released in the franchise series, and it was originally available for Microsoft Windows. In September of 2004, Gray Matter Interactive and Activision created an expansion pack called Call of Duty: United Offensive, and Pi Studios created an enhanced version the game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, called Classic Release. Pi Studios version was only available through redemption codes found in the special editions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
This game focuses on the British, Soviet, and American view-point during World War II. This game strays away from individual fighting seen in other 1st person shooter games, focusing more on team-based play. This game offers three campaign modes including Soviet, American, and British, and it offers both single player and multiplayer.
Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Release Date: November 2004
Developer: Spark Unlimited
Publisher: Activision
The Call of Duty: Finest Hour is the first installment of the series and it was originally released for Xbox, Playstation 2, and GameCube. It’s the first in the series made for a console and follows the same WWII theme as the game before it. It offers six different storylines for players to choose from and each story features real events that soldiers experienced during the war.
In the game, players get a campaign for each of the wars allies, and it offers both single and multiplayer modes. Another major change made by developer’s is the integration of online and local support on select consoles. While GameCube doesn’t offer online support for this particular game, Xbox Live lets up to 32 players locally, and PlayStation 2 allows for 16 players using the PlayStation 2 port.
Call of Duty 2
Release Date: October 25, 2005
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty 2 is the 2nd in this series, and it was originally released for Microsoft Windows. Later on, other versions came out for Pocket Pc’s, Xbox 360, and mobile phones. In April of 2006, Call of Duty 2: Radiant became available to players who wanted to create their own maps, import custom features into the game, or edit their own special effects.
Again, the theme focuses on World War II, where players take on one of 4 characters from the British, American, or Soviet army. It offers four separate campaigns that’s split into three intertwined stories. All together players have access to 27 different missions in divided into both the single and multiplayer modes. Many features got added or changed in this version, giving players a regenerating health, grenade indicators, and new maps.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Release Date: November 18, 2005
Developer: Treyaech
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is an expansion of the original Call of Duty 2, and it was originally released for GameCube, Xbox One, and Playstation 2. Later on, this game was a part of a combination package, called Call of Duty: Legacy, that was available only for Playstation 2. It offers both single and multiplayer modes, and focuses entirely on the United States 1st Infantry Division.
This game offers many distinct differences when compared to other games in the franchise, mainly due to its focus on one allied group. It also differs from other installments because of its opened-ended chapters that t allow players to carry out each goal on multiple different paths. More over, each chapter of the game features real footage and images from Military archives.
Call of Duty 3
Release Date: November 24, 2006
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty 3 is the 3rd edition to the series, and it was originally released for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii, Playstation 3, and Playstation 2. It offers both single player and multiplayer modes, and its the first game in the franchise to offer different gaming modes. Players have multiple paths to choose from while completing their missions, and has a similar style of gameplay as the others in the series.
One big change to the game is the ability to throw grenades back at the enemy. In single player mode, players get access to 14 campaign modes, and they get to choose one of three soldiers as their character. In multiplayer, players get access to several different modes, six characters to choose from, and they get to work in teams with up to 16 other players.
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory
Release Date: March 13, 2007
Developer: Amaze Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
The Call of Duty: Roads to Victory is the 3rd game in the series available for Playstation Portable, and It was the last game in the series made for this particular console. A similar version came out shortly after for other gaming consoles. This series also focuses on World War II, and offers American, British, and Canadian campaign modes.
Players get fourteen levels with several different missions to complete for each level. For this series, players choose one of five games to play including King of The Hill, Capture The Flag, Deathmatch, Hold The Flag, and Team Deathmatch. Throughout the game, players get access to nine maps, covering several historical locations that soldiers battled in during the war. Additionally, this game offers both single and multiplayer modes.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Release Date: November 2007
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was originally released for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 3, and later a ported version for Wii came out under the name Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition. It’s the first game in the franchise that doesn’t follow the World War II setting. Instead, this game’s set in 2011, where they’ve incorporated modern-day weapons and new age equipment. This game also has several new features in the multiplayer modes that earlier games don’t have. More over, players can assume the role of several different characters, and have multiple modes for each map.
One of the biggest changes to the game is its killstreak points. Players acquired points for killing several enemies without dying. These points allow players unlock special features and assets. More so, the screen begins to glow and the player will hear a rapid heartbeat when they get hurt, requiring them to take cover to regain their health. Plus, players must implement a variety of strategies when they’re completing a mission
Call of Duty: World at War
Release Date: November 2008
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: World at War is the fifth edition in the franchise, and the first chapter of the Black Ops series. It originally released for PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and Wii. Later on, developers created a revised edition for Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2. This edition takes players back into the World War II theme, where the campaigns focus on the Eastern Front. It has a perk and ranking system that resembles that of Call of Duty 4.
While much of this edition has the same appeal as others in the series, there’s a major overhaul in the visual and audio effects department. It has more mature content than others in the series, and uses an enhanced gaming engine. Additionally, it’s the first one to introduce players to the Zombie mode and the cooperative mode. More so, the multiplayer mode has several gaming modes and an advanced leveling systems that unlock new rewards as a player progresses.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the 6th part of the series and it picks up where the storyline ended in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare left off. It was originally released for PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360, and was later created for OS X by Aspyr in 2014. In 2018, the Xbox 360 version got modified for gameplay on the Xbox One, and a Call of Duty Modern Warfare came out for Nintendo DS. Later on, another port for Wii came out, titled Call of Duty Modern Warfare – Reflex.
Unlike the installments before it, this series offers several new features and multiplayer modes. This game offers three game modes including Spec Ops, Campaign, and Multiplayer with multiple levels within each mode. As players level up, they receive certain missions they must complete to advance to another level and unlock special rewards. For extra customization, each player can switch between characters after they complete each level and adjust the game difficulty to one of four settings.
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty:Black Ops is the 7th installment in the Call of Duty Series and the Sequel to Call of Duty: World At War. It was originally released for Wii, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. In September of 2012, N-Space developed a version for Nintendo DS, and Aspyr developed a version for OS X. On this series, players follow a CIA Operative through the Cold War in the late 1960’s.
Developers made several improvements to this game including interactive characters that can speak during gameplay. They’ve also included Call of Duty points that players can use to buy new weapons and customize their character. More over, this game offers several multiplayer modes with 14 playable maps for areas loke Vietnam, Russia, and Cuba. While this installment uses many of the same mechanics as its predecessors, its made many changes to killstreak rewards, weaponry, and load out choices.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Release Date: November 2011
Developer: Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the sequel to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the 8th installment in the Call of Duty Series. It was originally released for Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Later on, N-Space developed its own version for Nintendo DS, and Treyarch created the Wii port for this game. Additionally, Beachland Studios created a free version of the game called Call of Duty: Elite. This version gave players access to downloadable content, integration of Social Networking, and lifetime statistics. More over, a dubbed version of the game, by Square Enix, came out for players in Japan.
This game picks up where Modern Warfare 2 left off, aiming its focus on Task Force 141. In this series, the player’s health only regenerates if they avoid being harmed, and it has in-game currency to buy weapons, support, upgrades, and more. Additionally, this game introduces the new Survival Mode where 2 players fight a large group of hostile enemies, with each new group increasing in difficulty. Lastly, killstreaks got changed to Pointstreaks, and make it harder for players to unlock new goals.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Release Date: November 13, 2012
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops II originally released for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. Later it released for Wii U on November 18th, and Stigate Games released its own version of the game for Playstation Vita called Black Ops Declassified. In this series, players jump between two different characters set in the late 1980s and 2025. It’s the first series to offer a competitive mode, known as League play, where players of the same skill level take part in league competitions.
Additionally, this series brought the zombie mode back with several new game modes, unlike other series that only offers a survival mode. As another first in the franchise, this game introduces futuristic warfare technology and storylines that change based on whether a player completes a mission, weapon choice, and other player actions. More over, in Multiplayer mode, players get access to the Pick 10 system, where players get to choose 10 skills for their class including grenades, weapons, and perks.
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher Activision
Call of Duty: Ghosts is the 10th of the Call of Duty series, and it was originally released for PlayStation 3, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360. Later, developers created new versions of the game for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with the release of the new consoles. This game takes place in the future after the nuclear destruction of the Middle East. It offers exciting new features like build your own team, 20 new killstreaks, new weapons, and fourteen multiplayer modes.
This installment is the first in the franchise to introduce the create-a-character software, with all new characters. This software lets players customize their character using any of the 20,000 customization options. This game also features evolving maps that change as the players complete each mission. For an improved gaming experience, this game uses a unique leaning system that allows players to lean around objects without leaving safety.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Release Date: November 4, 2014
Developer Sledgehammer Games
Publisher Activision
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was originally released for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One. However, High Moon studios, with the assistance of Raven Software, developed the series for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For players who pre-ordered the game before its initial release, they received the special edition version, called Day Zero. The special edition version included extra in-game content and other special features not found in the original series. This is the first series not available on any Nintendo console.
More over, this title has many changes to improve gameplay like the replacement of the heads up display for holographic projections. It’s the first installment with only one playable character in the single player campaign, and multiplayer offers over 400 weapons to choose from. Multiplayer also features supply drops that give players the chance to score new gear. In addition, this series offers an Exo Survival mode that lets four players fight against their enemies.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Developer Treyarch
Publisher Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops III is the 12th installment in the Call of Duty series, and it’s available for Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 4. In addition, Beenox and Mercenary Technology developed a feature-limited version with a multiplayer mode for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, becoming the last title in the franchise for these platforms. This series takes place in the year 2065, 40-years after the Black Ops II timeline , and it’s centered around a world devastated by climate change and advanced technology.
Each player assumes the role of a cybernetic character that has its own special features and activities not seen in previous series. Another big change in this series is the game campaign, where players get an open level design and fewer passageway shootouts. More over, this installment offers a nightmares mode and a zombies mode. In both of these modes, all the player’s enemies get turned into flesh-eating zombies, leaving the player to fight against the horde.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Release Date: November 4, 2016
Developer: Infinity Wars
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Infinite War is the 13th installment of the Call of Duty series, and it’s available for PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox One. A special edition released shortly after, called Modern Warfare: Remastered. This series focuses around a battle against hostile forces trying to take over the solar system. More over, this installment has hundreds of new primary and secondary weapons, and it allows players to enhance their weaponry with special attachments. Players also get the chance to unlock two difficulty modes, YOLO and Specialist, after the campaign.
The biggest change to this series is its revised classing system, now called the Rig system, that closely resembles the specialist system in Black Ops III. Players can choose between six different rigs that each have their own special abilities and play styles, and each rig has its own payload and weapons selection. Another new concept is the lack of health regeneration during former mode. Instead, players must rely on nano shots and skills to stay alive. With its new features and enhanced in-game actions, this series offers players more freedom to decide how they approach each mission, and offers a better gaming experience.
Inifnite Warfare saw a moderate jump in system requirements, calling for at minimum an Intel Core i3-3225 processor, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7850 graphics card. The game also requires at least 80GB of storage space available on your hard drive or SSD.
Call of Duty: WWII
Release Date: November 3, 2017
Publisher: Sledgehammer Games
Developer: Activision
Call of Duty: WWII is the 14th installment in the Call of Duty series, available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. This game revives one of the most monumental wars in history, as it follows the 1st Infantry Division into Normandy on Dooms Day. In this game, players will travel across Europe, battling their enemies in many of the same locations as the real-life troops of Operation Overload. This series puts players back on the ground, opposed to its earlier installments “jetpack” style gameplay, and focuses on the unity of brotherhood, history, and era appropriate weaponry.
The most drastic change to this series is the missing health bar for multiplayer and zombie mode. Creators eliminated the health bar to give players a realistic FPS gaming experience without the fast-paced gaming seen in other installments. However, they did bring the health bar back for the single-player mode. This series also eliminated the create-a-class system used in previous installments, and implemented the new division system. Each division offers its own special abilities and unique play styles, pre-made for the player’s convenience. In addition, this series allows player’s to replenish their health, get extra ammunition, and score grenades from their team mates in all modes except campaign mode.
For PC system requirements, WWII recommends having at least an Intel Core i5-2400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X processor, 12GB of memory, and an NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 390 graphics card. The game also takes up 25GB in storage space.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Release Date: October 12, 2018
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is the sequel to Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, and it’s available for Microsoft Window, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The biggest addition to the newest Call of Duty game was to introduce a Battle Royale mode to capitalize on the exploding game genre.
Also, on release day, this game offered 3 zombie maps with an extra map offered to players who purchased the special edition game or a Black Ops Pass. These map locations introduced new and riveting territories like Ancient Rome, RMS Titanic, and Alcatraz. One of the biggest changes to this series is its use of solo missions instead of a traditional single-player mode. Solo missions focus on the characters back stories with missions that occur during a time between Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3.
Developer’s revised the multiplayer mode, bringing in several new characters with their own unique abilities and traits, and introducing better weapon customization and special upgrades. It’s also the first series to get rid of automatic health regeneration, relying on the players skills and special perks to help boost the player’s health. More over, this series adds new elements to the Black Ops series including a ballistics system, predictive recoil, custom zombie mutations, and a Blackout Mode.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 didn’t see too significant of an increase in recommend system requirements. Like Call of Duty: WWII, Black Ops 4 recommends having an NVIDIA GTX 970 or AMD Radeon R9 390 GPU and 12GB of RAM. It also still recommends having an AMD Ryzen 5 1600X processor, but on the Intel side of things, it bumped up its requirement from an i5-2400 of WWII to an i5-2500K for Black Ops 4.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Release Date: October 25, 2019
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is released towards the end of 2019 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The campaign mode centers around helping rebels from the fictional country Urzikstan hold off a Russian invasion.
Modern Warfare was nominated for a number of awards and won the award for the Best Online Multiplayer gamer from the Game Critics Awards, the Esports Game of the Year from the 2020 Golden Joystick Awards, the game with the best Original Score from the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, and the Best Audio Design from the The Game Awards 2019.
Activision released a variety of system requirements, ranging from minimum requirements, to specific requirements for competitive play, to requirements for running the game on ultra settings. The minimum requirements call for an Intel Core i3-4340/AMD FX-6300 processor, an NVIDIA GTX 1650/AMD HD 7950 GPU, and 8GB of RAM. To play on ultra settings, the game recommends an Intel Core i7-9700K/Ryzen 7 2700K processor, an NVIDIA RTX 2080, and 16GB of RAM.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Release Date: November 13, 2020
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the second latest release from the popular first-person shooter title. The game is set during the Cold War of the 1980s, and the campaign mode sends you out to find a specific Soviet spy.
Black Ops Cold War received generally favorable reviews from users and critics. It received an 8.75/10 rating from Game Informer, a 76% rating from Metacritic, and a 7/10 rating from IGN.
The game’s minimum system requirements are identical to Modern Warfare, requiring an Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300 processor, 8GB of memory, and a GTX 1650 or Radeon HD 7950 graphics card. If you want to play the game on ultra settings you’ll need a high-end gaming PC that has an Intel Core i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X processor, 16GB of memory, and an RTX 3080 GPU.
Call of Duty: Vanguard
Release Date: November 5, 2021
Developer: Sledgehammer Games
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Vanguard is the newest edition of the long-standing shooter franchise. The game is set during World War II and the campaign mode follows different points-of-view across multiple characters. With the release of Vanguard, Call of Duty: Warzone also received a new map and a new anti-cheat system.
For system requirements, Vanguard is the most demanding game of the series. For its minimum requirements, the game calls for an Intel Core i3-4340 or AMD FX-6300 processor, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 or AMD Radeon RX 470 graphics cards. That’s not too bad, really, and something even a $500 gaming PC build could handle easily. However, the recommended specs for competitive gamers and for playing on 4K are quite a bit higher. For competitive gamers, you’ll need 16GB of RAM, a newer Intel Core i7 or Ryzen 7 CPU, and an NVIDIA RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700XT graphics card.
For users with a 4K monitor, you’ll need either an NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card, or an AMD Radeon RX 6800XT, plus an Intel Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processor.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Modern Warfare II is the 19th installment in the Call of Duty series. It was released in late 2022 as the sequel to the 2019 release of the original Modern Warfare. The game follows Task Force 141, a multi-national special ops unit, as they try and track down an Iranian terrorist.
The game requires at minimum an NVIDIA GTX 960 or AMD RX 470 GPU, an Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 CPU, and 8GB of memory. For recommend hardware, you should have at least an NVIDIA GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580 GPU, an Intel Core i5-6600K or an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 CPU, and 12GB of memory.
If you want to play the game on a 4K monitor, you’ll need either an NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card, or an AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, or better.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and DMZ
Release Date: November 14, 2022
Developer: Infinity Ward
Publisher: Activision
Call of Duty: Warfare 2.0 is the latest update to the battle royale version of the Call of Duty series. At the time of the game’s release, the new Warfare featured a desert-themed map. This map is bigger than previous COD Battle Royale maps and introduces underwater combat.
Which Game in the Call of Duty Series is Your Favorite?
With every year that the franchise introduces a new game into the series, and players can expect to see new and exciting features with each new release. From improved audio and visual effects to new weapons and special characters, the Call of Duty francise always has something special to offer.
Let us know below which Call of Duty game is your favorite!