There are 23 mainline Call of Duty games. The first 22 start with Call of Duty on October 29, 2003, and run up to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on November 14, 2025. The 23rd, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, has a release date of October 23, 2026.
The full list is right below, followed by the same games sorted into their series so you can see which ones connect.
Call of Duty games in order of release
The dates here are the original launch dates. The platforms are the home consoles and PC each game came out on (handheld versions are left out), and some versions arrived after that first date. Store pages sometimes show a different date, such as the day that store's own listing went up, so don't worry if a listing disagrees.
| # | Game | Release date | Developer | Platforms | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call of Duty | October 29, 2003 | Infinity Ward | PC | Original trilogy |
| 2 | Call of Duty 2 | October 25, 2005 | Infinity Ward | PC; Xbox 360 launch title in November 2005 | Original trilogy |
| 3 | Call of Duty 3 | November 7, 2006 | Treyarch | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox | Original trilogy |
| 4 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | November 5, 2007 | Infinity Ward | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC | Modern Warfare (original) |
| 5 | Call of Duty: World at War | November 11, 2008 | Treyarch | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii | Standalone (its characters return in Black Ops) |
| 6 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | November 10, 2009 | Infinity Ward | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC | Modern Warfare (original) |
| 7 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | November 9, 2010 | Treyarch | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii | Black Ops |
| 8 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | November 8, 2011 | Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii | Modern Warfare (original) |
| 9 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | November 13, 2012 | Treyarch | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii U | Black Ops |
| 10 | Call of Duty: Ghosts | November 5, 2013 | Infinity Ward | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 | Standalone |
| 11 | Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | November 4, 2014 | Sledgehammer Games | Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC | Standalone |
| 12 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | November 6, 2015 | Treyarch | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC; Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 without the campaign | Black Ops |
| 13 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | November 4, 2016 | Infinity Ward | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC | Standalone |
| 14 | Call of Duty: WWII | November 3, 2017 | Sledgehammer Games | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC | Standalone |
| 15 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | October 12, 2018 | Treyarch | Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC | Black Ops |
| 16 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | October 25, 2019 | Infinity Ward | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC | Modern Warfare (reboot) |
| 17 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | November 13, 2020 | Treyarch and Raven Software | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Black Ops |
| 18 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | November 5, 2021 | Sledgehammer Games | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Standalone |
| 19 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | October 28, 2022 | Infinity Ward | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | Modern Warfare (reboot) |
| 20 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | November 10, 2023 | Sledgehammer Games in partnership with Infinity Ward | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | Modern Warfare (reboot) |
| 21 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | October 25, 2024 | Treyarch and Raven Software | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC | Black Ops |
| 22 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | November 14, 2025 | Treyarch and Raven Software | Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC | Black Ops |
| 23 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 | October 23, 2026 | Infinity Ward | Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, PC | Modern Warfare (reboot) |
You don't need to play these in order. Many of them tell their own story. Modern Warfare and Black Ops are the ones that carry a plot from one game to the next, and that's easier to see once the list is sorted by series.
The games grouped by series
"Original trilogy", "reboot" and "standalone" are our labels for sorting the list, not names Activision uses.
The original trilogy
- Call of Duty (2003)
- Call of Duty 2 (2005)
- Call of Duty 3 (2006)
These three are World War II shooters from before the series went modern. The first one launched on PC and is still sold on Steam. Call of Duty 3 went the other way: it came out on consoles and was Treyarch's first mainline entry. On a current Xbox, you can get it from the Xbox store, where it's playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Modern Warfare, the original trilogy
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
This is one story told across three games. Modern Warfare 2 picks up after Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 3 picks up right after that, so this is one of the few places where playing in sequence pays off.
Modern Warfare, the reboot
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 (October 23, 2026)
In 2019, Infinity Ward started Modern Warfare over. Activision described that game as "a powerful reimagined experience in an all-new title, built from the ground up." It's a restart, not a fourth chapter of the old trilogy.
From there, each game is a direct sequel to the one before. Modern Warfare 4 continues the same line.
Black Ops
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025)
With seven games, this is the biggest group on the list, and all of them come from Treyarch, with Raven Software joining for the three most recent. Release order and story order aren't the same thing here, which gets its own section further down.
The standalone games
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
- Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
None of these got a numbered sequel, so you can pick up any of them cold. The one with a link to another series is World at War, a World War II game whose characters return in Black Ops.
The two games called Modern Warfare 2
Because the reboot reused the old names, there are two different games called Modern Warfare 2. One is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 from 2009, the middle chapter of the original trilogy. The other is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II from 2022, the second reboot game.
The Roman numeral is the giveaway: the 2009 game is Modern Warfare 2 and the 2022 game is Modern Warfare II. Many stores put the year in the name as well.
Say you want to catch up on the reboot before Modern Warfare 4. You search "Modern Warfare 2" on a store, see a listing and almost hit buy. If the name has a plain 2, or (2009) after it, you're looking at the old game with a different story. The one you want is Modern Warfare II, often shown with (2022). Don't go by the store's release date, which can be the day that listing went up.
The same check works for Modern Warfare 3 (2011) and Modern Warfare III (2023). The first game is less of a trap, since the 2007 original has "Call of Duty 4" in its name.
How the Black Ops story fits together
Black Ops is the other series where order matters, and its timeline jumps around compared to the release dates. These are the links between the games:
- Call of Duty: World at War comes first. It's a World War II game, and characters from it return in Black Ops, which takes place two decades later.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops starts the series proper.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, set in 1981, is the direct sequel to the original Black Ops, even though it came out ten years and three Black Ops games later.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, set in the early 1990s, is the next chapter.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, set in 2035, follows the events of both Black Ops II and Black Ops 6. Treyarch talks through that setup in Xbox's gamescom interview about Black Ops 7.
So if you're heading for Black Ops 7 and want the background, Black Ops II is worth fitting in before it as well.
If you're a campaign player, skip Black Ops 4. It has no traditional single-player campaign. It has three modes instead: Multiplayer, Zombies and the Blackout battle royale.
Which Call of Duty to play first
It depends on what you want out of it and what you play on.
You want the current game with friends
Black Ops 7 is the newest game until Modern Warfare 4 arrives on October 23, 2026. If you're on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or PC, though, I'd make it Modern Warfare 4 from that day on unless your friends are staying on Black Ops 7. Modern Warfare 4 also has a Nintendo Switch 2 version.
You're on PS4 or Xbox One
Modern Warfare 4 skips those consoles. Black Ops 7 is the newest Call of Duty that runs on them, so that's your pick until you upgrade.
You want the story before Modern Warfare 4
Start at Modern Warfare (2019), then play Modern Warfare II (2022) and Modern Warfare III (2023). You don't need the 2007 to 2011 trilogy for this, since the reboot starts fresh.
You want the classic campaigns
Go with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, then carry on through the 2009 and 2011 games if it grabs you. The easy way in is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, which came out on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. The Xbox One version also plays on Xbox Series X|S.
You want the Black Ops story
Play Black Ops (2010), then Black Ops Cold War, then Black Ops 6. That takes you through the 1960s-to-1990s arc in story order, and you can add Black Ops II before moving on to Black Ops 7.
Number 23: Modern Warfare 4
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has a release date of October 23, 2026, on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. Infinity Ward is the developer, and Xbox has published the first details on its campaign.
If the campaign is what you're after, it opens a week before launch. Campaign Early Access starts Friday, October 16, 2026, with a pre-order or pre-purchase of any digital edition, on every platform. Activision's breakdown of the Modern Warfare 4 editions shows what each one includes.
Two things to know before you plan around it:
- It leaves out PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It's the first game on the list since those consoles arrived that skips them.
- It isn't on Xbox Game Pass at launch, so a subscription doesn't cover it on day one.
What isn't on the list
A few well-known Call of Duty titles aren't in the count of 23, because they're either separate games or new versions of old ones.
Call of Duty: Warzone (March 10, 2020) is a separate free-to-play game, developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software.
Call of Duty: Mobile (October 1, 2019) is a separate mobile game.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (November 4, 2016) is a remaster of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, so it's the same game as number 4 on the list.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered (2020) is a remaster of the 2009 game's campaign. That means it belongs to the original line, not the reboot, despite the 2020 date.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (November 1, 2005) is a separate console game from Call of Duty 2, not a port of it. It was Treyarch's first Call of Duty game, a year before Call of Duty 3.
FAQ
How many Call of Duty games are there?
There are 23 mainline games. The first 22 run from Call of Duty (2003) to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025), and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is the 23rd, with a release date of October 23, 2026. That count leaves out Warzone, Call of Duty: Mobile and the remasters.
Do I need to play them in order?
No. Many of the games tell a self-contained story. Order only matters inside the original Modern Warfare trilogy, the Modern Warfare reboot and Black Ops, and even there you only need the games in that one series.
Is the rebooted Modern Warfare a remake of Call of Duty 4?
No. The 2019 game is a reboot, which Activision described as "a powerful reimagined experience in an all-new title, built from the ground up." The version of Call of Duty 4 with updated visuals is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered from 2016.
Which Call of Duty has no campaign?
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. It has no traditional single-player campaign. Its three modes are Multiplayer, Zombies and the Blackout battle royale.
Is Modern Warfare 4 on PS4 or Xbox One?
No. Its platforms are Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC only. On PS4 or Xbox One, the newest game you can play is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
