Please take a seat, soldier—we’ve got a history lesson to share. As we explain how many Call of Duty (COD) games there are, you’ll learn a thing or two about one of the biggest video game franchises ever.
Giving a headcount isn’t enough, however, as we’ll also discuss how multiple developers work on COD and share some exciting details, including who owns the franchise and when the first title was released.
Remember to check out our Call of Duty betting odds on Thunderpick.
How Many Call Of Duty Games Are There?
When Was The First Call of Duty Released?
The first COD was released more than two decades ago on Oct. 29, 2003 in North America and later that same year in Europe. With developer Infinity Ward at the helm and Activision as the publisher, the first installment took place during the events of World War II, and it offered a thrilling single-player campaign and multiplayer.
The game ran on the id Tech 3 engine (known for powering games like Quake III Arena) and delivered a breathtaking first-person shooter experience. Despite a hot reception from critics and players alike, no one could have predicted the franchise’s enormous growth.
How Many Call Of Duty Games Exist In 2024?
In 2024, there are 20 mainline entry COD titles and three major free-to-play (F2P) games: COD Mobile, COD Warzone Mobile, and Warzone 2.0. While all the older mainline titles are still playable in some way, shape, or form, most gamers stick to the latest game in the franchise, Modern Warfare 3 (2023), along with the aforementioned F2P titles.
What if you had to count all the video games with the COD name? We’re talking the odd spinoffs such as Siege, a mobile strategy card game only released in Australia, remasters, and re-releases on different platforms. In that case, the total number of COD games increases to 47 (!) by our count.
How Many Developers Does Call Of Duty Have?
There are several development teams in the COD rotation, but the leading studios for the iconic franchise are:
- Infinity Ward
- Treyarch
- Sledgehammer
This allows the studios to have enough time to create a great experience while gamers get an annual release. We expect Treyarch to head development of COD 2024, which will likely fall into the “Black Ops” sub-series.
Who Owns Call of Duty?
Microsoft has owned the COD franchise since October 2023, when the tech giant finalized its mammoth deal to purchase Activision Blizzard for roughly $69 billion.
Will Call of Duty Come To Xbox Game Pass?
One of the biggest questions following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard is whether the Xbox Game Pass subscription service will include the COD franchise.
Early in 2024, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer (via an interview with Stephen Totilo of Game File) confirmed that all Activision Blizzard games, which includes COD, will come to the service:
“Our intent is the full portfolio of games from ZeniMax, Activision Blizzard, and XGS —Xbox Game Studios —will be on Game Pass, day one.” Mr. Spencer explained that Microsoft is busy with the process: “We’re doing the back end work to make them come to PC and console simultaneously.”
While Blizzard’s Diablo 4 made its way to Xbox Game Pass in April 2024, gamers are still waiting for the COD to appear on Xbox Game Pass for PC and consoles. It’s only a matter of time!
Complete List Of COD Games
You’ll find a list of all the mainline COD games in the table below, along with their release dates and the developer at the helm of each title. The list is in chronological order so you can see how the developer rotation plays out and how the franchise has evolved.
| Mainline COD Game | Release Date | Developer |
| Call of Duty | Oct. 29, 2003 | Infinity Ward |
| Call of Duty 2 | Oct. 25, 2005 | Infinity Ward |
| Call of Duty 3 | Nov. 7, 2006 | Treyarch |
| Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare | Nov. 5, 2007 | Infinity Ward |
| COD World at War | Nov. 11, 2008 | Treyarch |
| COD Modern Warfare 2 | Nov. 10, 2009 | Infinity Ward |
| COD Black Ops | Nov. 9, 2010 | Treyarch |
| COD Modern Warfare 3 | Nov. 8, 2011 | Infinity Ward & Sledgehammer Games |
| COD Black Ops II | Nov. 13, 2012 | Treyarch |
| COD Ghosts | Nov. 5, 2013 | Infinity Ward |
| COD Advanced Warfare | Nov. 4, 2014 | Sledgehammer Games |
| COD Black Ops III | Nov. 6, 2015 | Treyarch |
| COD Infinite Warfare | Nov. 4, 2016 | Infinity Ward |
| COD WWII | Nov. 3, 2017 | Sledgehammer Games |
| COD Black Ops 4 | Oct. 12, 2018 | Treyarch |
| COD Modern Warfare | Oct. 25, 2019 | Infinity Ward |
| COD Black Ops Cold War | Nov. 13, 2020 | Treyarch & Raven Software |
| COD Vanguard | Nov. 5, 2021 | Sledgehammer Games |
| COD Modern Warfare II | Oct. 28, 2022 | Infinity Ward |
| COD Modern Warfare III | Nov. 10, 2023 | Sledgehammer Games |
Note the reboot of the most successful COD sub-series, starting with Modern Warfare (2019). It was a smart move from the publisher, putting its best foot forward after mixed reception for Infinite Warfare and WWII. Alongside the main games, there are three active F2P titles.
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
- Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0
What happened to the original Warzone? When Warzone 2 released, Activision shut down the original Warzone to avoid splitting the playerbase.
These titles receive regular updates and seasonal content much longer than a standard entry, and this typically occurs for several years. For example, Call of Duty: Mobile was released on Oct. 1, 2019, and players have enjoyed more than 30 seasons of new content as of April 2024. The F2P titles are also updated with new content as more mainline games are released. For example, Warzone 2.0 received new weapons, attachments, and characters to coincide with Modern Warfare III.
Please note: To prevent this guide from being confusing, we’ve not counted remasters, later releases of older games on different platforms, and titles that no longer exist, such as a mobile spinoff, COD Heroes, which was removed from app stores in December 2018.
The Future Of COD
Activision has been releasing a new Call of Duty game every year since 2005, and 2024 will be no different. However, the 2024 release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, stands out as particularly significant. This is the first new title to launch since Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in October 2023. The game is also confirmed to feature a Zombies mode developed by Treyarch. It’s also likely that Black Ops 6 will be integrated with Call of Duty: Warzone, maintaining the shared updates and progression we’ve seen in the previous years through the CoD Battlepass.
Those same updates also help to supply the esports scene with new things to learn and master in the lead up to any Call of Duty League events. For more information on upcoming CDL tournaments as well as opportunities to bet on the matches as they happen, head over to our Call of Duty betting page!
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