All Call of Duty games in release order

In April 2021, CoD games sold an impressive 400 million copies since their inception in 2003, ranking third in history behind the Mario and Tetris franchises. This is especially impressive considering the series that started in the 1980s.

There are many spin-offs and re-editions in the FPS series, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered or Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified. But we have compiled a list of the biggest, major series and those that have been hugely successful in the entertainment world, sometimes changing its landscape forever.

Here are all the Call of Duty games in the order they were released.

There are two main ways to play Call of Duty games – you can choose the timeline order or the release order.

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Call of Duty Academy: 102

Call of Duty List of Games: History of COD Releases

In this article, I will take an in-depth look at every Call of Duty game released and provide information on many aspects of each game. Call of Duty has taken a crazy journey through its 17-year history and I document the changes made to each game and how it led us to the game we have today, Modern Warfare

Call of Duty

image Source: Infinity Totem

The original Call of Duty game was released in 2003 and was developed by Infinity Ward. This game was a new type of single-player shooter in which the player controls a soldier in a unit by carrying out various missions in the scenery of World War II. The game differed from other shooters like Medal of Honor in that the character in-game collaborated with others to complete missions rather than acting as a lone wolf.

Call of Duty consists of three parts of its campaign where you can play as an American soldier, British soldier and Soviet soldier as you try to defeat the Axis forces. Each mission has a series of objectives that must be completed before proceeding to the next mission.
There are two key Call of Duty features that are not found in other Call of Duty games. One of them is that you don’t regenerate health and you have to heal yourself manually using the first aid kit on the map. Another unique feature is that players could save at any point in the campaign, no matter where they were. In subsequent Call of Duty games, players must reach a checkpoint to save their progress.

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 was released in 2005 and developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The backdrop for the game was once again World War II and offered a host of new missions from a wide variety of Allied troops.

Call of Duty 2 introduced many features to the series of games that are key elements to this day. One is health regeneration and grenade icons that flash on the screen when explosives are nearby, alerting you to move.

Call of Duty 2 also introduced a multiplayer series where people could play online with other players including several types of Deathmatch games, Team Deathmatch, Search & Destroy, Capture the Flag and Headquarters. The maps cover Normandy, Africa and Russia. Each team can choose different types of weapons depending on the map. Players can choose between US troops, Soviet troops and British troops for the Allied forces, while the Axis forces have to play as German troops.

Call of Duty 3

Call of Duty 3 was released in 2006 and developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. In a campaign, the player selects an American, British, Canadian, or Polish soldier during the single-player campaign, for a total of 14 missions. The action of Call of Duty 3 takes place on the Western Front of World War II in 1944 and includes missions characteristic of the four main Allied campaigns in the Battle of Normandy. The campaign was open-ended, which meant that the player could complete any mission at any time.

The game offers a wide variety of multiplayer modes that players can take part in. In online play, each lobby allows up to 24 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and 16 on PlayStation 2 and Xbox in a single match. All Squad Modes feature Allied vs. Axis Troops.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released in 2007 and developed by Infinity Ward. This is the first Call of Duty game that was not set in the WWII era, but rather has a contemporary feel. The game won Game of the Year in 2007 and was the best-selling game of the year.

In the case of the campaign, the action takes place in 2011, when a radical leader executed the president of an unnamed country in the Middle East, and a nationalist movement ignites a civil war in Russia. The conflicts are seen from the perspective of the US Force Reconnaissance Marine and the British SAS commando and are taking place in various locations such as the UK, Middle East, Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine.

The multiplayer portion of the game features different game modes and includes a leveling system that allows the player to unlock additional weapons, weapon attachments, and camouflages for their weapons as they progress. COD 4 includes modern hardware and new features, many of which are exclusive to multiplayer, such as “killstreaks”; Killing a few enemies without a player dying between kills gives you access to a variety of resources including air strikes and helicopter support to help your squad.

As you gain experience in the multiplayer game, the player will advance to the next levels, unlocking new weapons, perks, challenges and game modes. The highest attainable level is 55, but the player has the option to enter Prestige mode, which restores one level and removes all accumulated unlockable items. This process can be repeated up to 10 times, each time giving a different insignia.

Call of Duty: World At War

Call of Duty: World At War was developed by Treyarch and released in 2008. The game brought the series back to World War II and is the first installment in the Black Ops series. It is also the first game in the series to include the popular Zombies game mode.

Zombies is a survival game mode where a group of four players has to fight against waves of zombies that only increase with each round. The game mode has no level limit, so the player plays until they finally succumb to the Zombies.

The campaign narrative focuses on the theaters of World War II in the Pacific and Eastern Front, with the participation of the United States, Japan, the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany. It is told from the perspective of Private Marine Cor. C. Miller, Locke’s US Navy NCO and a Red Army soldier, Private Dimitri Petrenko, and is based on several historic battles from World War II.

World at War & multiplayer is similar to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. All versions of the game use a similar perk and ranking system and offer six multiplayer modes including Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. The three killstreak rewards can be used to turn the tide of battle: a recon plane showing enemies on the minimap; artillery attack on the area and attack dogs that respawn and attack their opponents. They are earned for 3, 5, and 7 kills respectively. They are available in all game modes, except Team Survival, and cannot be edited.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released in 2009 and developed by Infinity Ward. The game is a sequel to the original Modern Warfare game and features the same campaign characters.

The campaign focuses on hunting Viktor Makarov, the head of the Russian Nationalist Party. The main playable characters in the game are Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson of 141 and Private James Ramirez of the Army Rangers, and Captain Soap MacTavish will be available later in the campaign.

The MW2 multiplayer site is considered revolutionary for the Call of Duty series. He implemented many new features to the series that remain to this day. Each type of game has a goal that requires different strategies to be accomplished. If a player kills three or more players in a row without dying, he scores a kill streak that gives the player a tactical advantage during the match. These include the Predator missile, a sentry gun and a tactical nuclear bomb. Alternatively, if a player dies multiple times without getting killed, they will be awarded a death streak bonus that will level the match for the player. The match ends when the team or player scores the specified number of points or the specified time elapses, in which case the team or player with the most points wins.
Player performance in multiplayer is tracked by experience points, which can be earned by killing opponents, completing objectives or completing a match. As experience gains, the player will advance to the next levels, unlocking new weapons. The player will also unlock perks such as unlimited sprint and increased bullet damage.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops was developed by Treyarch and released in 2010. The game is a continuation of World At War and continues its storyline. The game also includes many enhanced multiplayer features from MW2 and brought back the popular Nazi Zombies mode from World at War.

Set in the 1960s during the Cold War, the game follows CIA agent Alex Mason as he tries to recall some combat memories to locate a number station. This station is intended to broadcast to sleeper agents who are required to use chemical weapons throughout the United States. The main characters of the game are Mason and CIA agent Jason Hudson, as well as Red Army soldier Viktor Reznov in the second mission. The locations in the game include Cuba, the Soviet Union, the United States, Hong Kong, Laos, Vietnam, and even the Arctic Circle, among others.

Black Ops multiplayer continued to build on the success of previous Call of Duty games. Black Ops retains the experience points and unlockable reward system that has been maintained since Call of Duty 4. The multiplayer focuses on socialization and personalization. Create a Class allows for enhanced personalization with appearance elements as well as add-ons that can be improved. Weapons are highly customizable with lettering, emblems, attachments and camouflage paint. Even the sights can be modified.
There is more than one attachment style, allowing for a much more personalized weapon. For example, the player can choose between a red dot sight and a reflex sight, both of which share many of the same characteristics, although the red dot takes up less screen size. In addition, face paints can be unlocked. New custom killstreak rewards include explosive RC cars, guided missiles, and a steered assault helicopter.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the only Call of Duty created by two developers, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Both companies worked hand in hand to release the third installment of the Modern Warfare franchise in 2011. They built the success of MW2 and didn’t change the game much.

The Game & campaign follows Modern Warfare 2 and begins right after the events of the last mission. Like Modern Warfare 2, it centers around Task Force 141, which includes Captain Price, Soap MacTavish, and Yuri, one of the playable characters. Together with the Delta Force and the Special Air Service, they pursue Vladimir Makarov, the Russian terrorist who heads the Russian Nationalist Party. He carries out several terrorist attacks across Europe, sparking a large-scale war between nationalists and friendly forces.

In MW3 Multiplayer, it went from Killstreak rewards to Scorestreak rewards. To earn your streaks, you need to earn a certain amount of points in a single life, which you can earn by killing an enemy or completing part of a goal. The Rewards for the Scorestreak are split into three different Assault Packs: Assault, Support, and Specialist. The Assault Pack works the same as the Killstreak reward system in Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, the player must earn more and more points without dying. When a player is killed, their points are reset to zero. Likewise, the Specialist Strike Pack rewards players with bonuses for every second consecutive kill. However, upon death, the player loses all perks and the points are reset to zero. In contrast, a support strike packet is awarded based on the total number of points a player earns over the course of a match, regardless of how often the player dies. It is important to note that if a player switches to a custom class with a different reward system during the game, all points will be automatically reset to 0.

Aside from that main switch, MW3’s multiplayer largely mirrored MW2, with only a few minor changes. The game featured its own maps as well as the Terminal map from MW2.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was released in 2012 as the third installment in the Black Ops series and is a sequel to Black Ops.
The game & campaign continues the story of Black Ops and takes place at the turn of the 1980s and 2025. In the 1980s the player switches control between Alex Mason and Frank Woods, the main characters of Black Ops, while in 2025 the player takes control of Mason’s son David. In both periods, the heroes pursue Raul Menendez, the leader of the Nicaragua cartel who is responsible for kidnapping Woods in the 1980s and then starting the Second Cold War in 2025. The campaign offers non-linear gameplay and has multiple endings.

One of the biggest changes to Black Ops 2’s multiplayer is the introduction of Pick 10, a new system under the Create Class menu. Choosing 10 gives the player a total of 10 allocation slots in the class, which are used for weapons, perks, grenades, etc. The player can allocate slots in any way to have more weapon add-ons or more freebies.

Killstreaks from previous Call of Duty games are now Scorestreaks, now earned by scoring rather than kills. This allows the player to focus on goal modes and kills that score points for Scorestreaks.

Unlike previous games, weapons in Black Ops 2 have a progression system that is used to unlock weapon attachments. After reaching the maximum level of a weapon, the player can choose the prestige of the weapon, just as he can prestige the player’s level, and reset the attachment progress. Instead, the player can customize their weapons with custom clan tags and emblems.

Black Ops 2 is also the first Call of Duty game to feature a competitive mode. Known as League Play, the mode allows you to match players of similar skill levels and play according to Major League Gaming rules.

Black Ops 2 also continued the Zombies franchise as the third Treyarch game in a row. They introduced many new maps and modes, continuing the story of the main characters in the zombie game mode.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Call of Duty: Ghosts was released in 2013 and is the sixth Call of Duty game created by Infinity Ward. The game starts its own story in the campaign mode, continuing the success of the multiplayer mode from the previous parts.

In the Ghosts campaign, the story is told through the eyes of one character, Logan Walker. For most of the game, players assume the role of Logan along with several other playable characters including astronaut specialist Baker, Sergeant Thompson, a member of Icarus, and Logan & father, Elias Walker, with a brand new option to play as Riley, the first non-playable character the man in the series.
The main attraction of Ghosts was the multiplayer game, which garnered much better reviews than the campaign mode.

Ghosts’ multiplayer has some changes from previous Call of Duty games as some new mechanics have been added to it. The maps in the game have areas that can be changed or destroyed. There is a kill series similar to the atomic bomb from previous games, KEM Strike. The sniper rifle scopes also have a new “dual rendering technology” that allows the player to see the riflescopes outside (albeit blurry) when zoomed in. On October 3, 2013, a new type of multiplayer game called Squads was revealed. Contains a team that the player can build and the player can take on other teams around the world.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

the 11th edition of Call of Duty took the Call of Duty franchise in a direction that was not traditional. In Advanced Warfare, the game moved to a new mechanics of player movement and a campaign set in the future. The Advanced Warfare campaign was set in the 1950s and follows Jack Mitchell of the US Marine Corps and his commitment to Atlas, a private military corporation that sells its services to the highest bidder.

The shooting remains unchanged from previous Call of Duty games, except for new mechanics such as “Exo” moves. These Exo moves are made from the Exosuit, which allows the player to boost, jump and jump across the sky. The game is the first in the Call of Duty series that allows the player to choose different types of conventional weapons. For example, the game features regular conventional firearms, but the player can choose either laser weapons or energy-directed weapons that have different attributes. In addition to Exo moves, the game offers various Exo abilities such as the Exo Cloak, which allows players to become transparent for a period of time to hide.

The Pick 10 system in Black Ops 2 returns as Pick 13, allowing players to select weapons, attachments, perks, and a streak of points for a total of 13 allocation points. Advanced Warfare introduces weapon variants that contain different stats compared to the primary weapon. As a result, the game can contain more than 350 types of weapons, both variants and basic versions. Supply Drops allow players to acquire new equipment during the game. The content of each supply drop is random and can range from weapon variants to player customization items. Players can complete Daily Challenges to earn Supply Drops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is the fourth installment in the Black Ops series created by Treyarch. Black Ops 3 was also set in the future, much like Advanced Warfare, and featured advanced movement mechanics including glide and boost jumps in the air for a limited time.
Black Ops 3 takes place in 2065, 40 years after the story of Black Ops 2, in a world struggling with climate change and new technologies. As in its predecessors, the story is about a group of Black Ops soldiers. The game & campaign is designed to support 4-player cooperative gameplay, allowing for larger, more open level design and collaborative teamwork.

Multiplayer introduces a new momentum-based motion system that uses jet engine packs to allow players to perform power-ups in the air, as well as wall-run and slide, while giving players complete control of their weapons. In addition to the Select 10 class system from Black Ops 2, Treyarch implemented a character system called Specialists where players can choose from 9 different soldiers, each with a special weapon or skill unique to themselves. The new Gunsmith feature offers aesthetic variations on weapon attachments, allowing various combinations of weapon modifications. The Paintshop feature allows players to create their own prints on specific parts of the weapon, further emphasizing the depth of in-game customization.

Black Ops 3 also continued the popular Zombies franchise from previous Black Ops games. They launched a new campaign in Zombies, remastering old Zombies maps from previous Black Ops games.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Infinite Warfare is the 13th Call of Duty game in the series and the third game set in the future with Advanced Motion. This game is not popular with Call of Duty fans who wanted to return to the traditional Call of Duty with “shoes on the ground” without advanced movement. The trailer for the announcement was noted for a strong negative reaction as it was the second most disliked YouTube video at the time.

The action takes place in space and is characterized by zero gravity environments. Players are equipped with a boost pack and a hook that allows you to navigate easily in these zero gravity environments. As the game takes place in space, players can visit various planets, satellites and asteroids in the solar system. The player controls Captain Nick Reyes, a Level 1 Special Operations pilot, players engage in aerial combat with their enemies with his transforming fighter, the Jackal.

Infinite Warfare has introduced a class system overhaul called Combat Rigs. Similar to the Specialist system in Black Ops 3, there are six platforms in total, including Warfighter, Merc, FTL, Stryker, Phantom, and Synaptic. They all have different loads, weapons, skills and playstyles. For example, Synaptic is intended for players who prefer to run and shoot while the Phantom is suitable for players who want to play stealthily. Players can also access several perks, called Traits, that give players an advantage in certain combat situations. Additionally, the game retains the chain-based momentum system of Black Ops 3, allowing players to perform jump, thrust, slide, and wall runs.

Call of Duty: World War 2

Call of Duty: World War 2 was released in 2017 and was developed by Sledgehammer Games. The game, of course, brought the Call of Duty franchise back to the WWII era, as did some of the original Call of Duty games in the franchise. The game removed the advanced move that was in the last three Call of Duty games and reverted back to the shoe on the ground play style.

The campaign includes missions set on the Western Front, the Eastern Front, as well as in Africa during World War II. This is the first title since the original game to feature no health regeneration in the campaign. Instead, players must find first aid kits scattered across different levels or rely on their medical companion to provide first aid kits.

In online multiplayer, players are randomly assigned to the Allied or Axis side. On the Allied side, players can play as US, British, Soviet, or French Resistance soldiers. On the Axis side, players only play Wehrmacht and not Waffen-SS to avoid Nazi glorification. The game features weapons that were used during WWII and includes maps of iconic locations on the battlefields of war. Instead of the usual class creation system, WW2 includes divisions. Players can choose from eight divisions, each with a different basic combat training, division training, and weapon skills. Players must progress through the ranks in the divisions to take advantage of additional perks in addition to the global perk system called Basic Training.

WW2 also includes the HQ mode, which acts as a social space in the game. The center is located on Omaha Beach in Normandy. Up to 48 players can stay at the HQ at the same time and take part in various activities. Players can watch other players open Loot Chests in HQ. In the center there is a shooting range where all players can practice their shooting skills with all types of weapons, as well as a field where they can test their results.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was released in 2018 and was the sixth game released by Treyarch. Black Ops 4 is the first game in the series to feature no single player, only Multiplayer, Zombies and Battle Royale, which was brand new to Call of Duty.

In Black Ops 4 Multiplayer & the Specialists return with special abilities and traits. At launch, there are a total of ten Specialists in the game, six of which (Ruin, Prophet, Battery, Seraph, Nomad, Firebreak) are returning characters from Black Ops 3, and the other four (Recon, Ajax, Torque, Crash) are new additions. Unlike Black Ops 3, the game only allows two unique Specialists per team to emphasize the role of each character.

Automatic health regeneration has been removed in favor of a manual healing system where every player has a health bar, weapons now have predictable recoil patterns, and a mixed ballistic system that uses both hit and bullet damage. There was also an emphasis on personalizing the weapons, allowing the players’ equipment to be personalized. Add-ons get tiers as well, and tier 2 upgrades provide even more weapon upgrades. Some weapons also offer Operator Mods that significantly change the way weapons work while costing a significant portion of the 10 customization slots per class.

The Zombies game mode has taken the series in a new direction with a new story full of Easter eggs. It featured new characters with special abilities and weapons. They have new maps and bosses on these maps which means the map can be defeated.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the latest installment in the Call of Duty series and is the 19th game in the series. The game is played in a modern setting with modern military equipment. They brought a completely new engine to the game that allows for new performance enhancements such as more detailed environments and ray tracing technology.

The campaign follows a CIA officer and British SAS forces as they join forces with rebels from the fictional country of Urzikstan, fighting alongside Russian forces that have invaded the country. The game’s Special Operations mode features co-op missions that continue the story of the campaign. There was opposition to the campaign due to the negative portrayal of Russia and the Russian army.
Multiplayer in games has been revised to allow for a more tactical style of gameplay, including a focus on breaking doors and a “Realism” mode that removes the HUD. The mini-map was originally removed in favor of a compass-style marker, with visual cues to spot both allies and enemies. In response to comments from the multiplayer beta, Infinity Ward re-implemented the mini-map, but removed the red dots representing enemy players, which was the staple of Call of Duty.

Modern Warfare also has a Battle Royale game mode called Warzone. The mode features 150 players, fighting in teams of four, three or solo. Warzone is a free standalone game that can be downloaded independently. The map combines several locations that stand out in the Multiplayer and Special Ops modes. Weapon balancing is kept on par with multiplayer modes, except for higher headshot damage to reward aiming. As with other Battle Royale games, Warzone also includes looting as a major aspect, but weapon customization is limited as players can only choose weapon variants with pre-set, unchanging attachments. After death, players have a second chance at life by fighting another in an arena known as the Gulag. If you win the Gulag you will be returned to the map, if you lose you will be out of the game. In each Warzone game, you receive one Gulag Appearance.

Game	Publication date	Lead developer	Games sold
Call of Duty	2003	Infinity Totem	4,500,000
Call of Duty 2	2005	Infinity Totem	6,000,000
Call of Duty 3	2006	Treyarch	7,200,000
Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare	2007	Infinity Totem	15,700,000
Call of Duty: World At War	2008	Treyarch	15,600,000
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2	2009	Infinity Totem	25,020,000
Call of Duty: Black Ops	2010	Treyarch	31,000,000
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3	2011	Gry Totem of Infinity / Blacksmith’s hammer	30,970,000
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2	2012	Treyarch	29,600,000
Call of Duty Ghosts	2013	Infinity Totem	28,800,000
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare	2014	Sledgehammer games	21,780,000
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3	2015	Treyarch	26,720,000
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare	2016	Infinity Totem	13,360,000
Call of Duty: World War 2	2017	Sledgehammer games	19,820,000
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4	2018	Treyarch	25,660,000
Call of Duty Modern Warfare	2019	Infinity Totem	Not applicable

Which Call of Duty game in this great series is your favorite? Do you prefer modern ground games like the last three Call of Duty games released, or the futuristic era that preceded it? Or maybe you are a fan of the classics and have nostalgia and memories of growing up old games? Let me know!