Call of Duty is a globally renowned and beloved video game franchise. Let's explore its history, game by game, in release order.
Table of Contents
- Call of Duty
- Call of Duty 2
- Call of Duty 3
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- 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
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
- Call of Duty: WWII
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Image: youtube.com
Call of Duty
Release date: October 29, 2003 Developer: Infinity Ward
The original Call of Duty, released in 2003, featured both single-player and multiplayer modes set during World War II. The single-player campaign offered four distinct perspectives: American, British, Soviet, and Allied, each showcasing historically-inspired missions. These missions ranged from training exercises and night battles to naval sabotage and large-scale urban combat, totaling 26 diverse scenarios. Multiplayer focused on objective-based gameplay, such as capturing and holding points or flags.
Image: youtube.com
Call of Duty 2
Release date: October 25, 2005 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Call of Duty 2, while remaining a World War II title, introduced automatic health regeneration when in cover, removing the traditional health bar. The core gameplay remained similar to its predecessor, offering American, British, and Soviet campaigns with historically-based missions. Multiplayer largely mirrored the first game's structure. A post-game documentary provided historical context.
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Call of Duty 3
Release date: November 7, 2006 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Xbox
Released exclusively for Xbox, Call of Duty 3 streamlined the single-player campaign into a unified storyline, abandoning separate campaigns. New actions, like rowing a boat, were added, along with split-screen multiplayer. Technical improvements were significant, enhancing animation, lighting, and overall visual fidelity. This installment notably introduced civilians (non-playable) and omitted handguns from the campaign.
Image: blog.activision.com
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Release date: November 5, 2007 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Shifting from World War II, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare introduced a modern setting and alternate history, placing the player in 2011 to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. American and British campaigns were featured, along with additions like Arcade Mode (high-score challenges), cheat codes, and the introduction of player classes in multiplayer.
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Call of Duty: World at War
Release date: November 11, 2008 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Returning to World War II, Call of Duty: World at War offered American and Soviet campaigns with improved graphics and AI. A notable addition was the Nazi Zombies mode, playable solo or cooperatively. Innovations included enemy dismemberment, the flamethrower, and further character class customization.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Release date: November 10, 2009 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
A sequel to Modern Warfare, set in 2016, this installment expanded gameplay with features like climbing and underwater scuba diving (in specific missions). Multiplayer additions included dual-wielding pistols, new game modes, an enhanced perk system, and the ability to call in artillery and airstrikes.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops
Release date: November 9, 2010 Developer: Treyarch Download: Steam
Set in the post-World War II era, Call of Duty: Black Ops cast the player as a CIA agent. While the single-player campaign retained a similar structure to previous entries, it introduced in-game currency, character and weapon skins, contracts, and a wagering mode. Multiplayer featured classes, perk leveling, and the Zombies mode.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Release date: November 8, 2011 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
A direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3 continued the story and characters from its predecessor, focusing on refinements to existing mechanics and enhanced visuals and sound.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Release date: November 13, 2012 Developer: Treyarch Download: Steam
Black Ops II featured a campaign spanning two time periods (2025-2026 and 1986-1989), impacting the storyline and offering multiple endings. Improvements included player choices affecting the narrative, selectable equipment before battles, and enhanced AI.
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Call of Duty: Ghosts
Release date: November 5, 2013 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Call of Duty: Ghosts introduced a new protagonist and storyline, featuring combat in both terrestrial and space settings, including a mode against alien adversaries. Character customization, including the option to play as a female character, and destructible environments were also included.
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Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Release date: November 4, 2014 Developer: Sledgehammer Games Download: Steam
Set in a technologically advanced future, Advanced Warfare featured exoskeletons, drones, and other futuristic weaponry. Vertical gameplay and a separate alien-fighting mode were also introduced.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Release date: November 6, 2015 Developer: Sledgehammer Games Download: Steam
Black Ops III, set decades after Black Ops II, featured cybernetic limbs, hacking capabilities, jetpacks, and wall-running. Nine specialists were added to the class system.
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Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Release date: November 4, 2016 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Infinite Warfare offered a standalone story set on Mars, introducing new exoskeletons with customizable upgrades in multiplayer.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered
Release date: November 4, 2016 Developer: Raven Software Download: Steam
A remaster of the original Modern Warfare, focusing on improved visuals, audio, and animations while largely preserving the original gameplay.
Image: store.steampowered.com
Call of Duty: WWII
Release date: November 3, 2017 Developer: Sledgehammer Games Download: Steam
A return to the World War II setting, featuring a focus on squad dynamics and a return to classic mechanics.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Release date: October 12, 2018 Developer: Treyarch Download: Steam
Black Ops 4 omitted a traditional single-player campaign, instead offering standalone Specialist missions. Multiplayer featured increased health, a new fog-of-war system, and a 100-player battle royale mode.
Image: store.steampowered.com
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Release date: October 25, 2019 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
A reboot of the Modern Warfare subseries, focusing on contemporary conflicts and featuring controversial content. Gameplay changes included increased weapon recoil, the addition of bipods, and the return of Killstreaks.
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Call of Duty: Warzone
Release date: March 10, 2020 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
A standalone battle royale game with classic battle royale, Rebirth (respawn), and Plunder (money collection) modes.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
Release date: March 31, 2020 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: callofduty.com
A remaster of Modern Warfare 2, with updated visuals, audio, and animations.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Release date: November 13, 2020 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
Set in the early 1980s, Black Ops Cold War featured a single-player campaign across various global locations. The Zombies mode received significant updates.
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Call of Duty: Vanguard
Release date: November 5, 2021 Developer: Sledgehammer Games Download: Steam
Another World War II installment, featuring multiple interwoven storylines and a large number of multiplayer maps.
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Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
Release date: November 16, 2022 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
An update to Warzone, introducing features like ammo sharing, an updated Gulag, and a new DMZ mode.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
Release date: October 28, 2022 Developer: Infinity Ward Download: Steam
A direct sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare, focusing on the fight against terrorism and drug cartels.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Release date: November 2, 2023 Developer: Sledgehammer Games Download: Steam
The third installment in the rebooted Modern Warfare series, combining elements from the previous two games and introducing a new "Slaughter" mode.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Release date: October 25, 2024 Developer: Treyarch and Raven Software Download: Steam
A sequel to Black Ops Cold War, set in the 1990s during the Persian Gulf conflict, introducing new movement mechanics and changes to the Zombies mode.
The enduring popularity of the Call of Duty franchise stems from its consistent balance of challenge, realism, and player interaction. Over two decades, each iteration has built upon the strengths of its predecessors while incorporating fresh elements, resulting in a series that continues to captivate a global audience.
