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Modern Warfare 2
Image via Call of Duty
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Call of Duty
Guides

How to Play the Call of Duty Games in Chronological Order

Relive the series in preparation for Modern Warfare II!
Image of James Herd
James Herd
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Published: Jun 8, 2022 03:07 pm

Call of Duty is a gift that keeps on giving. Since the original game launched in 2003, the main series has seen a new release every single year — with the sole exception of 2004, but that was when Call of Duty: Finest Hour released, so …. In any case, with the formal announcement that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will be launching on October 28, 2022, it seems the yearly release cycle isn’t ending anytime soon.

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Given the nature of the franchise’s anthology-like brand of storytelling, you might think there is no sense of chronology or continuity to Call of Duty, but you’d be dead wrong. Spanning from World War II to the furthest recesses of space, here’s how to play the Call of Duty games in chronological order.

Call of Duty Games in Chronological Order

Call of Duty: WWII (1940 — 1945)

Call of Duty: WWII released November 3, 2017, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It may have released relatively recently, but it took the series back to a World War II setting, where it originated.

Call of Duty 2 (1941 — 1945)

Call of Duty 2 released October 25, 2005 for PC, and November 22, 2005 for Xbox 360. It may be the sequel, but like with many franchises, the number tacked on doesn’t mean a lot in terms of story.

Call of Duty: World at War (1942 — 1945)

Call of Duty: World at War released November 11, 2008, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC. It was the fifth in terms of release order, and the last time the series would visit WWII until … Call of Duty: WWII.

Call of Duty (1942 — 1945)

Call of Duty released October 29, 2003, for PC. It’s the one that started it all! Call of Duty allowed players to experience the infamous conflict from the perspectives of the Americans, the British, and the Soviets.

Call of Duty 3 (1944)

Call of Duty 3 released November 7, 2006, for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. It released a week later, on November 14, 2006, for PlayStation 3 and Wii. It’s the last World War II story in terms of chronology.

Call of Duty: Black Ops (1961 — 1968)

Call of Duty: Black Ops released November 9, 2010, for PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It followed CIA operative Alex Mason as he attempts to revisit a series of memories.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1981)

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War released November 13, 2020, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It jumps the timeline forward a couple of decades, and brings back Alex Mason, as well as other characters from Black Ops, including Frank Woods and Jason Hudson.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (1986 — 1989, Alex Mason Missions)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 released November 13, 2012, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It released for the Wii-U less than a week later, on November 18, 2012. Black Ops 2’s time is split between the ’80s, where the player controls Alex Mason, and 2025, where they control his son, David Mason.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (1996 — 2011)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare released November 5, 2007, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, and Mac OS X. In the first entry of the acclaimed Modern Warfare series, we see a more current take on conflicts in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Ukraine, among other locales.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (1999 — 2019)

Not to be confused with Call of Duty 4, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was released on October 25, 2019, for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s not included in the same continuity as the other Call of Duty games. The game will be followed by Modern Warfare 2 (2022).

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2016)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 released November 10, 2009, for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In this direct continuation of Call of Duty 4, the player must fight against an group of Ultranationalist extremists.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2016 — 2017)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 released November 8, 2011, for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC. In this direct continuation from the events of Modern Warfare 2, the player continues the fight against the group of Ultranationalist extremists.

Call of Duty: Ghosts (2015 — 2027)

Call of Duty: Ghosts released November 5, 2013, for the PlayStation 3, Wii-U, Xbox 360, and PC. It launched for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One only a few weeks later, on November 15 and November 22, respectively. In this entry, players control Logan Walker and must conduct a series of clandestine missions.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2025, David Mason Missions)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 released November 13, 2012, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It released for the Wii-U less than a week later, on November 18, 2012. Black Ops 2’s time is split between the ’80s, where the player controls Alex Mason, and 2025, where they control his son, David Mason.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2043)

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 released October 12, 2018, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Black Ops 4 did not feature a campaign — a series first. But, there are cutscenes that confirm its place in the timeline.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2054 — 2061)

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare released November 4, 2014, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. In this one, players control Jack Mitchell (played by Troy Baker) as he works with both the United States Marine Corps and the private military corporation Atlas.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2065 — 2070)

Call of Duty: Black Ops III released November 6, 2015, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. In this one, which is designed to support four-player co-op, and features a cybernetically enhanced player character in a world facing significant technological upheaval.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (???)

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare released November 4, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It’s not clear when it takes place in the timeline, but given the usage of interplanetary travel and space warfare, there is no way it takes place sooner than 2070, so we’re putting it at the furthest position.

Related: Is Call of Duty Coming Back to Steam with the Release of Modern Warfare 2?

That’s all there is to know about the chronological timeline of Call of Duty! Stick with Gamer Journalist for more information on Modern Warfare II as its release date ticks ever closer!

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Image of James Herd
James Herd
James has been playing games for as long as he can remember. His first game was either The Lion King or The Mask for the SNES. He has since grown into the biggest apologist for JRPGs and he wants to be Yoko Taro for Halloween.