Every Call of Duty game in release order is listed below, from the original 2003 World War II shooter through the modern annual entries, with release years, developers and the sub-series each one belongs to. Two decades of yearly releases, three main studios and several overlapping storylines make the franchise easy to lose track of. This timeline sorts the whole main series into a clean, chronological table, then explains how the sub-series fit together.
The main Call of Duty series launched in 2003 and has released a new entry almost every year since. Three studios rotate development: Infinity Ward (the Modern Warfare line), Treyarch (the Black Ops line) and Sledgehammer Games, with Raven co-developing several recent titles. The full release-order list is in the table below.
Every main Call of Duty game, in release order
This covers the numbered mainline entries in the order they launched. Spin-offs and mobile titles are noted separately after the table so the core timeline stays clean.
| # | Title | Year | Lead developer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Call of Duty | 2003 | Infinity Ward |
| 2 | Call of Duty 2 | 2005 | Infinity Ward |
| 3 | Call of Duty 3 | 2006 | Treyarch |
| 4 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | 2007 | Infinity Ward |
| 5 | Call of Duty: World at War | 2008 | Treyarch |
| 6 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | 2009 | Infinity Ward |
| 7 | Call of Duty: Black Ops | 2010 | Treyarch |
| 8 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | 2011 | Infinity Ward / Sledgehammer |
| 9 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | 2012 | Treyarch |
| 10 | Call of Duty: Ghosts | 2013 | Infinity Ward |
| 11 | Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | 2014 | Sledgehammer Games |
| 12 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | 2015 | Treyarch |
| 13 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | 2016 | Infinity Ward |
| 14 | Call of Duty: WWII | 2017 | Sledgehammer Games |
| 15 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | 2018 | Treyarch |
| 16 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare | 2019 | Infinity Ward (reboot) |
| 17 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 2020 | Treyarch / Raven |
| 18 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | 2021 | Sledgehammer Games |
| 19 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | 2022 | Infinity Ward |
| 20 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | 2023 | Sledgehammer Games |
| 21 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 | 2024 | Treyarch / Raven |
| 22 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 | 2025 | Treyarch / Raven |
Beyond the mainline, the franchise also includes the free-to-play battle royale Warzone (2020) and its later versions, the mobile release Call of Duty: Mobile (2019), and older handheld and spin-off titles. Those live outside the core numbered timeline but share characters and settings with it.
The three studios behind the series
Call of Duty's annual pace only works because development rotates between studios, each with its own identity:
- Infinity Ward created the original game and the Modern Warfare line, known for grounded, cinematic military campaigns.
- Treyarch owns the Black Ops line, famous for its round-based Zombies mode and Cold War era stories.
- Sledgehammer Games joined as a lead studio with Advanced Warfare and has handled several entries since, often collaborating on others.
Raven Software has become a key co-developer on recent Black Ops and Warzone releases, part of a broader shift toward multiple studios sharing one connected ecosystem.
The sub-series, explained
If you want to follow the stories rather than the release calendar, the franchise breaks into a few threads. The original Modern Warfare trilogy (2007, 2009, 2011) tells one continuous story. The Black Ops line runs Black Ops, Black Ops II, III, 4, Cold War and the later numbered entries, weaving a Cold War-into-future arc. The rebooted Modern Warfare trilogy (2019, 2022, 2023) is a modern retelling with new versions of classic characters. World War II settings appear in the earliest games plus World at War, WWII and Vanguard. For most players, release order and story order line up closely within each sub-series, so the table above doubles as a solid play order.
Call of Duty order FAQ
How many Call of Duty games are there?
There are more than twenty mainline entries released since 2003, plus spin-offs, the Warzone battle royale and mobile titles. The table above lists the core numbered series in order.
What was the first Call of Duty game?
The original Call of Duty launched in 2003, developed by Infinity Ward and set in World War II. It established the cinematic, squad-based style the series is known for.
Which studio makes Black Ops?
Treyarch is the lead studio behind the Black Ops line, with Raven Software co-developing several recent entries. Black Ops is best known for its round-based Zombies mode.
Should I play in release order or story order?
Within each sub-series, release order and story order mostly match, so playing in release order works well. If you only care about one storyline, follow that sub-series, for example the original Modern Warfare trilogy from 2007 to 2011.
Is Warzone part of the main series?
Warzone is a free-to-play battle royale that launched in 2020 and connects to the mainline games, but it sits outside the core numbered timeline as an ongoing live-service mode.
My takeaway
Call of Duty's history is a yearly relay between three studios: Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare, Treyarch's Black Ops and Sledgehammer's entries, plus Raven's recent co-development. Read release order as your play order and the sprawling franchise suddenly makes sense. For a closer look at one pivotal title's competitive legacy, see our feature on how Black Ops 2 built modern Call of Duty esports, and if you are new to the scene, start with our beginner's guide to esports. For more list-style reads, try every Fortnite season in order. Want a quick free browser shooter to scratch the itch? See our Krunker.io review. The official Call of Duty site lists current and upcoming titles.