Call of Duty

Call of Dutyis amilitaryfirst-person shootervideo gameseries andmedia franchisepublished byActivision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed byInfinity Ward, then byTreyarchandSledgehammer Games. Several spin-off and handheld games were made by other developers. The most recent,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, was released on October 25, 2024.
The series originally focused on aWorld War IIsetting, with Infinity Ward developingCall of Duty(2003) andCall of Duty 2(2005) andTreyarchdevelopingCall of Duty 3(2006). Infinity Ward'sCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare(2007) introduced a modern setting and proved to be the breakthrough title for the series, creating theModern Warfaresub-series; aModern Warfareremastered versionreleased in 2016. Two other entries,Modern Warfare 2(2009) andModern Warfare 3(2011), were made. The sub-series received a reboot withModern Warfarein 2019,Modern Warfare IIin 2022, andModern Warfare IIIin 2023. Infinity Ward has also developed two games outside of theModern Warfaresub-series,Ghosts(2013) andInfinite Warfare(2016).
Treyarch made one last World War II-based game,World at War(2008), before releasingBlack Ops(2010) and subsequently creating theBlack Opssub-series. Five more entries,Black Ops II(2012),Black Ops III(2015),Black Ops 4(2018),Black Ops Cold War(2020), andBlack Ops 6(2024) were made, the latter two in conjunction withRaven Software. Sledgehammer Games, which were co-developers forModern Warfare 3, have also developed three titles,Advanced Warfare(2014),WWII(2017), andVanguard(2021). They are also the lead developer forModern Warfare III(2023), the third entry in theModern Warfarereboot sub-series.
As of October 2023,Call of Dutyhas sold over 500 million copies and has 100 million monthly active players across all platforms.The franchise generated $30 billion in revenue by 2022.The series is verified by theGuinness World Recordsas the best-selling first-person shooter game series. It is also the most successful video game franchise created in theUnited Statesand the secondbest-selling video game franchise of all time. Other products in the franchise include a line ofaction figuresdesigned byPlan B Toys, acard gamecreated byUpper Deck Company, Mega Bloks sets byMega Brands, and acomic bookminiseries published byWildStorm Productions, and a feature film in development.
Call of Dutyis a first-person shooter video game based onid Tech 3, and was released on October 29, 2003. The game was developed byInfinity Wardand published byActivision. The game simulates theinfantryandcombined armswarfare ofWorld War II.An expansion pack,Call of Duty: United Offensive, was developed byGray Matter Studioswith contributions fromPi Studiosand produced by Activision. The game follows American and British paratroopers and the Red Army. TheMac OS Xversion of the game was ported byAspyr Media. In late 2004, theN-Gageversion was developed byNokiaand published by Activision. Other versions were released for PC, including Collector's Edition (with soundtrack and strategy guide), Game of the Year Edition (includes game updates), and the Deluxe Edition (which contains theUnited Offensiveexpansion and soundtrack; in Europe the soundtrack was not included). On September 22, 2006,Call of Duty,United Offensive, andCall of Duty 2were released together asCall of Duty: War Chestfor PC.Since November 12, 2007,Call of Dutygames have been available for purchase viaValve's content delivery platformSteam.
Call of Duty 2is a first-person shooter video game and the sequel toCall of Duty. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. The game is set during World War II and is experienced through the perspectives of soldiers in theRed Army,British Army, andUnited States Army. It was released on October 25, 2005, forWindows, November 15, 2005, for theXbox 360, and June 13, 2006, for Mac OS X. Other versions were made formobile phones,Pocket PCs, andsmartphones.
Call of Duty 3is a first-person shooter and the third installment in theCall of Dutyvideo game series. Released on November 7, 2006, the game was developed byTreyarch, and was the first major installment in theCall of Dutyseries not to be developed by Infinity Ward. It was also the first not to be released on the PC platform. It was released on thePlayStation 2,PlayStation 3,Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360.
Call of Duty: WWIIis the fourteenth game in the series and was developed bySledgehammer Games.It was released worldwide on November 3, 2017, for Windows,PlayStation 4andXbox One.The game is set in theEuropean theatre, and is centered around a squad in the1st Infantry Division, following their battles on the Western Front, and set mainly in the historical events ofOperation Overlord.
Call of Duty: Vanguardis the eighteenth game in the series and is developed bySledgehammer Games, withTreyarchdeveloping the game's Zombies mode. It was released on November 5, 2021, for PC,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The story depicts the birth of special forces to face an emerging threat at the end of the war during varioustheaters of World War II.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareis the fourth installment of the main series and was the first game in the Modern Warfare timeline. Developed by Infinity Ward, it is the first game in the series not to be set during World War II. The game was released for Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on November 7, 2007. Download and retail versions for Mac OS X were released byAspyrin September 2008. As of May 2009,Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfarehas sold over 13 million copies.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remasteredis a remastered version ofCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfarethat was released alongside the Legacy Edition, Legacy Pro Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition ofCall of Duty: Infinite Warfareon November 4, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.It was later released standalone on June 27, 2017, for PS4, and July 27, 2017, for Xbox One and PC.The game was developed byRaven Softwareand executive produced by Infinity Ward.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is the sixth installment of the main series, and the second game in the Modern Warfare timeline. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision.Activision BlizzardannouncedModern Warfare 2on February 11, 2009.The game was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows.A Nintendo DS iteration of the game, titledCall of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was released alongside the game and the Wii port ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare.Modern Warfare 2is the direct sequel toCall of Duty 4and continues the same storyline, taking place five years after the first game and featuring several returning characters includingCaptain Priceand"Soap" MacTavish.
A visually updated version of the original, it was released for PlayStation 4 on March 31, 2020, and for Xbox One and Windows on April 30, 2020. It only includes the campaign mode with no multiplayer and Spec Ops components. When purchased, players can unlock various cosmetic items in 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and 2020's Call of Duty: Warzone.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is the eighth installment of the main series and the third installment of theModern Warfarearc. Due to a legal dispute between the game's publisher Activision and the former co-executives of Infinity Ward – which caused several lay-offs and departures within the company– Sledgehammer Games assisted in the development of the game, while Raven Software was brought in to make cosmetic changes to the menus of the game.The game was said to have been in development since only two weeks after the release ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.Sledgehammer was aiming for a "bug free" first outing in theCall of Dutyfranchise, and had also set a goal forMetacriticreview scores above 95 percent.
The game continues the story from the point at which it ended in theCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2and continues the fictional battle story between the United States andRussia, which evolves into theThird World WarbetweenNATOallied nations and ultra-nationalist Russia.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfareis the sixteenth entry in theCall of Dutyseries and is also arebootof theModern Warfaresub-series. The story has been described to be darker and more realistic than previousCall of Dutygames. It is set in theBlack Opstimeline,separate from the otherModern Warfaregames (however, characters such as Captain Price and other fan favorites from the series make a return). The game was officially revealed on May 30, 2019, and released on October 25, 2019.
The second mainbattle royaleinstallment in theCall of Dutyfranchise, titledCall of Duty: Warzone,was released in March 2020, as a part of theCall of Duty: Modern Warfarevideo game but does not require purchase of it.The title exceeded 50 million players in the first month after release.
Activision confirmed a sequel to the 2019Modern Warfaregame on February 11, 2022, to be developed by Infinity Ward.The game's logo and title was revealed on April 28, 2022.During Activision's 'Call of Duty NEXT' broadcast on September 15, 2022, the game's multiplayer was fully revealed, along with details on thenext version ofWarzoneand a mobile version ofWarzone, both set to launch slightly afterModern Warfare II's launch.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare IIwas released on October 28, with Campaign Early Access for pre-orders on October 20.
Call of Duty: World at War, developed by Treyarch, is the fifth installment of the main series. Released afterModern Warfare, it returns to the World War II setting of earlier titles,featuring thePacific theaterandEastern front. The game uses the same proprietary game engine asCall of Duty 4and was released for the PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 consoles and theNintendo DShandheld in North America on November 11, 2008, and November 14, 2008, in Europe. As of June 2009,Call of Duty: World at Warhas sold over 11 million copies.It acts as a prologue for Treyarch's next game,Black Ops, which is in the same universe, sharing characters and story references.
Call of Duty: Black Opsis the seventh installment in the series,the third developed by Treyarch and was published by Activision for release on November 9, 2010. It is the first game in the series to take place during theCold Warand also takes place partially in theVietnam War. It was initially available for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 and was later released for theWiias well as the Nintendo DS.
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIis the ninth main installment in the series, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. The game was revealed on May 1, 2012.It was the first game in the series to feature future warfare technology, and the campaign features multiple branching storylines driven by player choice and multiple endings. It was later released on November 12, 2012.
Call of Duty: Black Ops IIIis the twelfth main installment in the series, developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. The game was released on November 6, 2015.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4is the fifteenth main installment in the series. It was developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. The game was released on October 12, 2018.It was the first featuredCall of Dutygame to forgo asingle-playercampaign game mode, focusing only on the multiplayer aspect of the game. The game also introduced an entirely newbattle royalegame mode, calledBlackout, in addition to multiplayer and zombies co-op mode.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Waris the seventeenth main installment in the series. It was developed by Treyarch andRaven Software, and published by Activision. The game was released on November 13, 2020. Set during the 1980s and focusing on Soviet and American espionage during the Cold War, the game is chronologically set betweenCall of Duty: Black OpsandBlack Ops II.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6is the 21st major work in the series. It was developed byTreyarchandRaven Softwareand released by Activision on October 25, 2024.
Call of Duty: Ghostsis the tenth main installment in the series and was developed by Infinity Ward. The game was released on November 5, 2013.It was the first game to be developed foreighth-gen consolessuch as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfareis the eleventh main installment in the series, developed by Sledgehammer Games with assistance from Raven Software andHigh Moon Studios. It was released on November 4, 2014.The game was the first game in the series to feature advanced movements, such asdouble jumpand boost slide.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfareis the thirteenth main installment in the series, developed by Infinity Ward, and was published by Activision. The game was released on November 4, 2016.
In 2006, Treyarch releasedCall of Duty 3, their firstCall of Dutygame of the main series. Treyarch and Infinity Ward signed a contract stating that the producer of each upcoming title in the series would alternate between the two companies. In 2010, Sledgehammer Games announced they were working on a main series title for the franchise. This game was postponed to help Infinity Ward produceModern Warfare 3. In 2014, it was confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would produce the 2014 title,Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and the studios would begin a three-year rotation.After Sledgehammer developedCall of Duty: WWII(2017), they began developing a newCall of Dutyentry alongsideRaven Softwaredue for release in 2020. However, there were conflicts of interest between the two, which resulted in Treyarch taking over control of the project to speed up the development process.
Call of Duty Onlinewas announced byActivisionwhen the company first stated their interest in aMassively multiplayer online game(MMO) in early 2011. By then, it had been in development for two years.Call of Duty Onlineisfree-to-playfor mainland China and is hosted byTencent, since Activision had lost the publishing rights toCall of Dutyand several other franchises in China due to a legal dispute on most of the gaming consoles (Xbox 360,PlayStation 3, andWii).
Call of Duty: Heroeswas a real-time strategy game developed by Faceroll Games and published by Activision for Android and iOS.
Call of Duty: Mobileis the franchise's mobile title for iOS and Android developed byTencentGames'TiMi Studios. It was released on October 1, 2019.Previously, it was first announced on March 18, 2019, at the year'sGame Developers Conference.As of October 4, 2019, the game has surpassed over 35 million downloads worldwide.
Call of Duty: Warzoneis an online battle royale game developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software and released by Activision. The game was released on March 10, 2020, as part ofModern Warfare (2019), but can be downloaded without ownership of the former title. The game shares progression with, and uses gameplay items fromModern Warfare, as well asBlack Ops Cold WarandVanguardfollowing several integration updates to incorporate content from these titles. Activision has announced that a mobile version ofWarzonewas in development, slated to be released sometime in the future.
A successor toWarzone, initially titledCall of Duty: Warzone 2.0, also developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software, was released on November 16, 2022, as part of a content update forModern Warfare II. Following its fourth seasonal update,Warzone 2.0was renamed to simplyWarzone. Like the previous iteration,Warzone(2022) is available for separate download without requiring ownership ofModern Warfare II, and was subsequently integrated with gameplay items and progression fromModern Warfare III. In addition to sharing progression with the aforementioned titles, the game is also linked toWarzone Mobile, a standalone mobile game that incorporatesModern Warfare IIandModern Warfare IIIgameplay items while played on separate maps and game modes.
Call of Duty: Warzone Mobileis a mobile battle royale game developed by Activision Shanghai, Beenox, Digital Legends Entertainment, and Solid State Studios, in partnership with other Activision studios.The game has cross-progression withModern Warfare II,Modern Warfare IIIandWarzone 2.0and uses their gameplay items but does not support cross-platform play with the aforementioned titles. The game was released on November 30, 2022, in Australia and March 24, 2023 in Chile, Norway and Sweden, as part of a "Limited Release" phase, with the first map being a ported version of Verdansk, which first appeared in the originalWarzone. The game was officially released foriOSandAndroiddevices on March 21, 2024.
Call of Duty: Finest Houris the first console installment ofCall of Dutyand was released on theGameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game include anonline multiplayermode which supports up to 32 players. It also includes new game modes.
Call of Duty 2: Big Red Oneis a spin-off ofCall of Duty 2developed by Treyarch and based on the American1st Infantry Division'sexploits during World War II. The game was released on GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.
Call of Duty: World at War – Final Frontsis the PlayStation 2 adaptation ofCall of Duty: World at War. Developed byRebellion Developments,Final Frontsfeatures three campaigns involving the U.S. fighting in thePacific theater, theBattle of the Bulge, and the British advancing on the Rhine River into Germany.
Call of Dutyis a N-Gage game which is a portable spin-off of 2003'sCall of Duty.
Call of Duty: Roads to Victoryis a PSP game which is a portable spin-off ofCall of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareis the Nintendo DS companion game for 2007'sModern Warfare.
Call of Duty: World at Waris the Nintendo DS companion game forWorld at War.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilizedis the Nintendo DS companion game forModern Warfare 2. Developed byn-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game but follows a different storyline and cast of characters. Playing as the S.A.S. and the Marines in campaign mode, both forces are trying to find a nuclear bomb.
Call of Duty: Black Opsis the Nintendo DS companion game forBlack Ops. Developed byn-Space, the game takes place in the same setting as the main console game, but follows a different storyline and cast of characters.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Defianceis the Nintendo DS companion game forModern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassifiedis aPlayStation VitaCall of Dutygame.
Call of Dutyis the J2ME mobile spin-off of 2003'sCall of Duty.
Call of Duty 2is the J2ME mobile spin-off ofCall of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 3is the J2ME mobile spin-off ofCall of Duty 3.
Call of Duty 2 Pocket PC Editionis the Windows Mobile spin-off ofCall of Duty 2.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareis the J2ME mobile spin-off of 2007'sModern Warfare.
Call of Duty: World at Waris the J2ME mobile spin-off ofWorld at War.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Force Reconis the J2ME mobile spin-off ofModern Warfare 2. Developed byGlu Mobile, the game takes place in Mexico five years afterModern Warfare.
Call of Duty: World at War – Zombiesis a first-person shooter video game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision foriOS. It is aspin-offof theCall of Dutyseries and based on the "Nazi Zombies" mode ofCall of Duty: World at War.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Mobileis the J2ME mobile spin-off ofBlack Ops.
Call of Duty: Black Ops – Zombiesis a first-person shooter video game developed by Ideaworks Game Studio and published by Activision forAndroidand iOS. It is a sequel toCall of Duty: World at War – Zombies.
Call of Duty: Strike Teamis a first and third-person shooter game developed by The Blast Furnace and published by Activision for iOS and Android. The game is set in 2020 with players tasked with leading a U.S.Joint Special OperationsTeam after the country "finds themselves in a war with an unknown enemy".
Call of Duty: The War Collectionis a boxed set compilation ofCall of Duty 2,Call of Duty 3andCall of Duty: World at War. It was released for the Xbox 360 on June 1, 2010.
Call of Duty: Combined Forceswas a proposed concept draft originally intended to be a sequel toCall of Duty: Finest Hour. However, due to multiple legal issues that arose betweenSpark Unlimited,Electronic Arts, andActivisionas well as other production problems, the game's draft and scripts never came to be. The game was projected to cost $10.5 million to produce afterFinest Hourwas complete. Eventually, Activision deemed the pitch as more of an expansion than something entirely new, causing the company to reject the proposal and end their contract with Spark Unlimited shortly after.
Call of Duty: Devil's Brigadewas a canceled first-person shooter for theXbox 360developed by Underground Entertainment. The game was set in World War II, mainly focusing on the Italian Campaign.
In 2010, after the fracturing ofInfinity Wardand departure of Jason West andVince Zampella, studioNeversoftwas tasked by Activision to develop a sci-fi spinoff in theCall of Dutyfranchise, experimenting with low-gravity gameplay and other aspects of the engine. At an unknown point in time, the project was scrapped, and assets were reused inGhostsandInfinite Warfare. Footage of the project (known asFuture Warfare) was leaked online in January 2024, revealing a complete opening mission, and an in-development multiplayer that was still reusing assets from 2009'sModern Warfare 2. After the leaks, former Neversoft developer Brian Bright came along and confirmed the leaks, stating that the game had two or three complete missions, and a large amount of multiplayer work done. He also referred to the project as "NX1", and that the game was meant to release in 2013 in place ofGhosts.
Call of Duty: Vietnamwas athird-person shooterset during theVietnam War. It was in development for at least six to eight months atSledgehammer Games. The development was stopped because Infinity Ward needed help finishingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3due tothe employee firings and departures in 2010.
Call of Duty: Roman Warswas a canceled third and first-person video game in theCall of Dutyfranchise developed byVicarious Visions. The game was set inancient Rome, and allowed players to take control of famous historical figureJulius Caesar, along with "low grunts", and officers of theTenth Legion. It was eventually canceled, asActivisionhad uncertainties about branding it as aCall of Dutytitle.
Between 2012 and 2013,Raven Softwarewas developing a stand-aloneCall of DutyZombies game, afterTreyarch's internal decision to move from the traditionalBlack Ops Zombiesmode and focusing on the single-player and multiplayer aspects of their next game,Call of Duty: Black Ops III(2015). Designed to be afree-to-playarena, the game was taking inspirations from theMad Maxmovies. Former Raven's lead designer Michael Gulmmelt came along and confirmed the leaks in April 2024, and revealed that Raven canceled the project after Treyarch move back on the production ofBlack Ops Zombiesand decided that Raven's game would create an internal competition.
Modern Warfare 2: Ghostis a six-part comic book mini-series based onCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The storyline focuses on the backstory of the characterSimon "Ghost" Riley. The series is published byWildStormand the first issue was released on November 10, 2009, alongside the game.
Call of Duty: Zombiesis a six-part comic book series published byDark Horse Comics. The series ties in with the Zombies game mode of theBlack Opssubseries developed byTreyarch. The series is co-written byJustin Jordan, Treyarch's Jason Blundell and Craig Houston. The series is illustrated by artist Jonathan Wayshak and colorist Dan Jackson. The cover arts are handled by artistSimon Bisley. The series was announced by Treyarch in July 2016, with the first issue slated for release in October. After a slight delay, the first issue was released on October 26, 2016. The five other issues were released in the months of 2017: issue #2 released on January 11, 2017; issue #3 released on March 1, 2017; issue #4 released on April 19, 2017; issue #5 released on June 21, 2017; and issue #6 released on August 23, 2017. A paperback edition containing all six issues was released on November 15, 2017.
In 2004,Activision, in cooperation with the companies Plan-B Toys and Radioactive Clown, released the "Call of Duty: Series 1" line of action figures, which included three American soldiers and three German soldiers from the World War II era.While the American G.I. action figure was made in 2004,Plan-B Toys later discontinued a controversial Nazi SS Guard action figure based on the Nazi Totenkopf officer seen inCall of Duty.In 2008,McFarlane Toysannounced their partnership with Activision to produce action figures for theCall of Dutyseries. McFarlane Toys' first series of action figures were released in October 2008 and consists of four different figures: Marine with Flamethrower, Marine Infantry, British Special Ops, and Marine with Machine Gun.
Find Makarovis a fan-made film that was well received byCall of Dutypublishers, Activision, who contacted We Can Pretend and subsequently produced a second short film,Operation Kingfish.
Find Makarov: Operation Kingfishis a fan-madeprequeltoCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2and was first shown at Call of Duty XP. The video was produced by We Can Pretend, with visual effects by The Junction, and was endorsed byActivision. The video tells the story of howCaptain Priceended up in a RussianGulagset before the events ofModern Warfare 2.
On November 6, 2015, upon the release ofBlack Ops III,The Hollywood Reporterreported that Activision Blizzard launched a production studio calledActivision Blizzard Studiosand are planning a live actionCall of Dutycinematic universe in 2019.On February 16, 2018, it was announced thatStefano Sollimawill direct the film. Days later, he told Metro UK that he is considering having bothTom HardyandChris Pineas the leads for the film.In an interview with FilmSlash, Sollima stated that the film will be a real soldier movie, not a war movie.On November 27, 2018, it was announced thatJoe Robert Colewill be writing the sequel.Filming on the first film was supposed to start filming in Spring 2019 for a 2020 or 2021 release.In February 2020, Sollima revealed in an interview that the film had been put on hold as it was not Activision's priority.
TheCall of Dutygames were used inesports, starting in 2006, alongside the game released at the time,Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.Over the years, the series has extended with releases such asCall of Duty: World at War,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,Call of Duty: Black Ops,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,Call of Duty: Black Ops II,Call of Duty: Ghosts, andCall of Duty: Mobile. Games are played in leagues likeMajor League Gaming.
Players can compete in ladders or tournaments. The ladders are divided into several sub ladders such as the singles ladder, doubles ladder, team ladder (3v3 – 6v6) and hardcore team ladder (3v3 – 6v6). The difference between the regular team ladder and the hardcore team ladder is the in-game settings and thus a rule differentiation. Winning ladder matches on a competitive website rewards the user with experience points which add up to give them an overall rank.
The tournaments offered on these websites provide players with the opportunity to win cash prizes and trophies. The trophies are registered and saved on the player's profile if/when they win a tournament, and the prize money is deposited into his or her bank account.Call of Duty: Ghostswas the most competitively played game in 2014, with an average of 15,000 teams participating every season.
For the past 6 seasons in competitiveCall of Duty,Full Sail Universityhas hosted a prize giveaway, giving $2,500 to the top team each season.The other ladders give out credits and medals registered on players' profiles. Tournaments hosted on theCall of Duty: Ghosts's Arena give cost from 15 to 30 credits, thus averaging at a cost of about $18.75 per tournament. If the player competes with a team, the prize money is divided, and an equal cut is given to each player. Other tournaments with substantial prizes are hosted in specific cities and countries forLANteams.
The biggestCall of Dutytournament hosted wasCall of Duty: Experience 2011, a tournament that began whenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3was released.
PlayingCall of Dutycompetitively is most popular in Europe and North America, with users who participate in tournaments and ladder matches daily.
Activision launched a 12 teamCall of Duty League, following a similar city-based franchise structure as theOverwatch League, in January 2020. The league's teams include those fromAtlanta,Boston,the Carolinas,Las Vegas,Miami,Minnesota,New York,Seattle,TexasandToronto, and with two teams from Los Angeles, theLos Angeles ThievesandLos Angeles Guerrillas.
TheCall of Duty Endowment (CODE)is a nonprofit foundation created by Activision Blizzard to help find employment for U.S. military veterans. The first donation, consisting of $125,000, was presented to theParalyzed Veterans of America.
Co-chairman GeneralJames L. Jonesis a formerU.S. National Security Advisor.FounderRobert Kotickis the CEO of Activision Blizzard. Upon its founding in 2009, the organization announced a commitment to create thousands of career opportunities for veterans, including those returning from theMiddle East.Annual awards given by the endowment include the "Seal of Distinction", a $30,000 initial grant given to selected veteran's service organizations.In November 2014, the endowment launched the "Race to 1,000 Jobs" campaign to encourage gamers to donate money to and get involved in organizations that provide veterans with services.As of 2015, the Call of Duty Endowment had provided around $12 million in grants to veterans' organizations in the United States, which has helped find jobs for 14,700 veterans.
On March 30, 2010, CODE presented 3,000 copies ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, approximately $180,000 in value, to theU.S. Navy. The copies were delivered to over 300 ships and submarines as well as Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation facilities worldwide.
TheCall of Dutyseries has been the subject of criticism for its "western-centric worldview, clumsy stereotyping and fetishisation of military power", according toThe Guardian's Keith Stuart.Writing forGameSpot, Phil Hornshall said the series "usually comes off as pro-gun and pro-military at the very least, and evenjingoistic."Sam Biddle ofThe New Yorkerwrote that the series maintains "massive bipartisan appeal" owing to its "reactionary nature". He criticized Activision Blizzard's claim that the games wereapolitical, writing they "now pushed so deeply into the territory of right-wing fantasy that it reaches a point of inadvertent parody".Similarly,PC Gamer's Tyler Wilde criticized marketing thatCall of Duty: WWIIwas made from anti-war sentiment and that playing as a virtual soldier could increase empathy; he felt through the game's announcement trailer it instead glorified a "brutal but noble" conflict in a game series that was no deeper than an action drama.
Others have faultedCall of Duty's representation ofethnicandreligiousgroups.Kotaku's Alyssa Mercante, alongside severalMuslimandArabmembers of the games industry, thought the series "historically dehumanize[s]" the aforementioned groups with harmful stereotypes and narratives. This included portraying theMiddle Eastas undesirable where "the line between truth and fiction can blur", and creating localized fictional regions in a way that "perpetuat[es] the idea that there is a singular, Middle Eastern country".Inverse's Gregory Lawrence felt thatCall of Dutyavoided accusations ofIslamophobiaby including "good" Muslim characters, but without further exploring their morality.Writing forThe Progressive, Joe Mayall thought that the games' depiction of its antagonists asanti-Westernwas a "dangerous oversimplification", the same attitude of which had led to the United States' (US)participation in wars.
A perceived strong Western bias in the series has been a point of criticism.TheGamer's Tessa Kaur condemned its portrayal of war that she thought depictedU.S. soldiersas heroes while having "no moral quandary", being "distinctively pro-intervention", and "perpetuat[ing] false beliefs" about real-world conflicts. Kaur questioned if the games could ever move beyond glorifying the U.S. military to tell "impactful and honest stories about the cruelty of war".Mayall wroteCall of Duty"exaggerates the effectiveness and cleanliness ofmilitarismwhile understating the repercussions", leaving audiences with a heavily-skewed version of reality. He felt this did the most harm by portraying military intervention as the best form offoreign policy.Conversely, Lawrence thought that the series had a surprising indifference in presenting the U.S. military favorably; he cited the rebootedModern Warfaresub-series involving player-characters serving "corrupt masters embedded in a corrupt operation run by more corrupt masters".
Some have linked the sensed partiality with theU.S. government'smilitary–entertainment complex. Kaur wroteCall of Dutywas one example of entertainment media the authorities had exploited sinceWorld War IIto promote certain narratives in their favor;Mayall notedthe Pentagonhad consulted on "more than a thousand movies and dozens of video games".Alan MacLeod, a writer on the subject of propaganda, suggested thatCall of Duty: Modern Warfare IIwas a "psychological operation" for the US.Affiliations betweenCall of Dutystaff and the U.S. government have been felt to contribute to this.In an interview withThe Guardian,Call of Duty: Black Ops IIwriter Dave Anthony said how he was contacted by a former Pentagon official to join an expert panel to discuss the future of warfare. He consequently joined a Washington-basedthink tankthat advises on the future of unknown conflicts and threats.Similarly, while plottingCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Michael Condrey of Sledgehammer Games revealed the studio had consulted with a Pentagon advisor to discuss the likeliest future military threat to the US.Some wrote of howCall of Dutyhad also been used as a recruitment tool by the U.S. military.Kaur said they had once considered plans to grow its audience by payingCall of Dutystreamers and organisingesportstournaments involving soldiers and streamers; they had backed out when reports ofsexual harassment at Activision Blizzardwere publicized.
As Infinity Ward's founders Jason West and Vince Zampella started new contract negotiations to continue developing theCall of DutyActivision around 2007, a number of legal issues arose between Infinity Ward and Activision. Ultimately, West and Zampella were forced out of Infinity Ward, later formingRespawn EntertainmentwithinElectronic Arts. West and Zampella, as well as several Infinity Ward staff that departed the studio alongside them to join Respawn, filed lawsuits against Activision related to unpaid royalties and bonuses.
Modern Warfare 2received significant controversy due to its inclusion of the level "No Russian", in which the player participates in a massacre of civilians at a Russian airport.
AM General, the manufacturer of theHumvee, sued Activision in 2017 for using the Humvee in multipleCall of Dutygames.A federal district judge gave Activision a summary motion in its favor to dismiss the case in April 2020, stating that the purpose of the use of the Humvee in the games, to provide military realism, was quite different from the trademark purpose that AM General had established, for selling to the military.