Call of Duty franchise – the juggernaut of first-person shooters that’s been around since 2003. If you’ve ever wondered how all these games connect (spoiler: some don’t at all) or if you’re just trying to decide the best order to play ’em in, this guide is your one-stop shop. We gotchu with both release order and chronological story order, split by major sub-series. So grab your loadout, and let’s roll.
Call of Duty Games – In Release Order
From WW2 trenches to sci-fi space warfare to battle royale… here’s how it all dropped.
Mainline Titles (2003–2025)
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Call of Duty |
| 2005 | Call of Duty 2 |
| 2006 | Call of Duty 3 |
| 2007 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare |
| 2008 | Call of Duty: World at War |
| 2009 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 |
| 2010 | Call of Duty: Black Ops |
| 2011 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 |
| 2012 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II |
| 2013 | Call of Duty: Ghosts |
| 2014 | Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare |
| 2015 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III |
| 2016 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare |
| 2017 | Call of Duty: WWII |
| 2018 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (no traditional campaign) |
| 2019 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (reboot) |
| 2020 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War |
| 2021 | Call of Duty: Vanguard |
| 2022 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (reboot sequel) |
| 2023 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (reboot finale) |
| 2024 | (Speculated or Placeholder Title) |
| 2025 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Gulf War (rumored) |
Chronological Order (By Timeline)
Okay, here’s where it gets juicy. COD timelines are a mess – multiple universes, reboots, and lore so deep you could drown in it. But let’s break it down by era and series.
World War II Era (1939–1945)
- Call of Duty (2003) – OG WW2 shooter, iconic.
- Call of Duty 2 (2005) – Continues WW2 battles across various fronts.
- Call of Duty 3 (2006) – Focused on the Normandy Breakout.
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008) – Brutal, Pacific and Eastern Front.
- Call of Duty: WWII (2017) – More cinematic WW2 retelling.
- Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021) – Alternate-history, post-WW2 setup.
Cold War Era (1947–1989)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) – MKUltra, Vietnam, JFK conspiracies.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) – Canon bridge between BO1 and MW reboot.
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II (1980s missions) – Set in both the 1980s & the future 2025.
Modern Warfare Era (1990s–2020s)
Original MW Timeline
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
- Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
Reboot MW Timeline
- Modern Warfare (2019) – Soft reboot with Price.
- Warzone (2020) – Tied to MW19, BO Cold War & Vanguard.
- Modern Warfare II (2022) – Sequel to the reboot, Task Force 141.
- Modern Warfare III (2023) – Wraps up reboot trilogy.
Black Ops Timeline (Future Segments)
- Black Ops II (2025 missions) – Drone warfare, Raul Menendez.
- Black Ops III (2065) – Cybernetics & dystopia.
- Black Ops 4 (prequel to BO3, no campaign) – Battle royale & MP focus.
- Future Warfare / Sci-Fi Timeline
- Advanced Warfare (2054–2061) – Exo-suits, PMCs, Kevin Spacey being evil.
- Infinite Warfare (2080s) – Full-on space battles and interplanetary war.
Ghosts Timeline (Alt Universe)
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013) – New universe, post-apocalyptic setting, U.S. vs South American Federation.
Recommended Playing Order (Story Chronological)
If you’re tryna binge COD campaigns like it’s a Netflix series:
- WWII Era
- Call of Duty
- Call of Duty 2
- Call of Duty 3
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Call of Duty: WWII
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Black Ops Cold War Saga
- Black Ops
- Black Ops Cold War
- Black Ops II (1980s)
- Modern Warfare Saga
- MW (2007)
- MW2 (2009)
- MW3 (2011)
- Modern Warfare Reboot Timeline
- Modern Warfare (2019)
- Warzone / Black Ops Cold War / Vanguard (they all mesh in)
- Modern Warfare II (2022)
- Modern Warfare III (2023)
- Black Ops Future Arc
- Black Ops II (2025)
- Black Ops III (2065)
- Black Ops 4 (between BO2 & BO3)
- Advanced/Future Warfare
- Advanced Warfare (2050s)
- Infinite Warfare (2080s)
- Ghosts Timeline
- Call of Duty: Ghosts (standalone alt-universe)
Final Words
Call of Duty’s storylines are like multiverses wrapped in tinfoil and dunked in Mountain Dew, chaotic, but kinda genius. You can experience the nostalgia, the multiplayer action, or relive history (or the future), there’s a lot to do in this franchise.
Wanna play in story order? You already have the list. Just want to play the best campaigns? Start with Modern Warfare (2019) or Black Ops (2010), they hit different.
