Call of Duty

Call of Duty is a first-person shooter video game franchise published by Activision, the publishing arm of Activision Blizzard, which became a subsidiary of Microsoft after the acquisition completed in 2023. The brand debuted in 2003 with a World War II-themed shooter developed by Infinity Ward, and it has since grown into one of the most commercially successful entertainment franchises in the world, routinely delivering the top-selling premium game of its release year. The franchise is built around annual premium releases, alternating among lead studios — Infinity Ward, Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games — supported by Raven Software, Beenox and other Activision studios. Its core sub-brands include the historical/Modern Warfare line, the Black Ops line, and the free-to-play battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone, which extended the brand into a persistent live-service model with seasonal content, battle passes and in-game purchases. Beyond games, Call of Duty spans esports (the Call of Duty League), mobile (Call of Duty: Mobile, developed with Tencent's TiMi Studios), and licensing into consumer products. The brand's marketing is closely tied to its annual reveal cycles, beta weekends and cross-promotions with sports and entertainment partners. Call of Duty is positioned as a mass-market, blockbuster action brand: cinematic single-player campaigns, fast-paced multiplayer and a competitive scene. It is a pillar of Activision's revenue and one of the most recognizable video game trademarks globally.

Call of Duty began in 2003 as a World War II first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Its cinematic campaign and squad-based multiplayer helped it stand out in a crowded genre, and the franchise quickly became an annualized tentpole for Activision. Infinity Ward followed with sequels and, in 2007, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which moved the series from historical battlefields to contemporary conflict and became a defining shooter of its generation. Treyarch, another Activision studio, established the Black Ops line beginning in 2010, giving the brand a second major sub-series and enabling a rotating multi-studio development model. Sledgehammer Games joined the rotation, and the franchise expanded into new settings and modes, including futuristic and advanced-movement entries. In 2020, Activision launched Call of Duty: Warzone, a free-to-play battle royale tied to the annual premium titles, which shifted the brand toward a persistent live-service model with seasonal content and in-game monetization. Call of Duty: Mobile, developed with Tencent's TiMi Studios, brought the brand to smartphones. The Call of Duty League organized professional competition under Activision's ownership. In 2023, Microsoft completed its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, making Call of Duty part of Microsoft's gaming portfolio alongside Xbox and Bethesda. The brand remains an annual blockbuster release and a major driver of Activision's revenue, with marketing built around reveal events, beta weekends and cross-promotions.

• 2023

  Microsoft completes its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, bringing Call of Duty into Microsoft's gaming portfolio.

• 2020

  Call of Duty: Warzone launches as a free-to-play battle royale tied to annual premium titles.

• 2010

  Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops establishes a second major sub-series.

• 2007

  Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare moves the series to contemporary conflict and becomes a genre-defining hit.

• 2003

  Call of Duty debuts as a World War II first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision.

Mass-market blockbuster shooter franchise with annual premium releases, a free-to-play live-service layer and a professional esports league.

• Call of Duty (2003)

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

• Call of Duty: Black Ops

• Call of Duty: Warzone

• Call of Duty: Mobile

• 2026

  Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Duty

  Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 used real-world news footage and said it did not intend to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or another real-world tragedy. The company had not yet responded to demands to remove the footage.

  Source

• 2022

  Activision sues EngineOwning over game cheats

  Activision Publishing filed a lawsuit against EngineOwning, which it says distributes and sells software enabling cheating in Activision-published games. Activision alleges the conduct is unlawful and seeks to stop it; the claims are allegations in the lawsuit.

  Source

• 2020

  Court dismisses AM General lawsuit against Activision

  A federal judge dismissed AM General’s lawsuit against Activision over Call of Duty’s depiction of Humvees, agreeing that the vehicles’ inclusion furthered the games’ artistic realism.

  Source

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• 2026-10-30

  Call of Duty faces backlash over Itaewon disaster footage[3]Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Dutyazernews.az

  Reported: 2026-10-30

  Call of Duty faced criticism in South Korea after footage from the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush reportedly appeared in the opening sequence of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4. Victims’ families and civic groups demanded that the footage be removed. Activision said the real-world news footage was used to establish the game’s fictional narrative and was not intended to reference or trivialize the disaster.

• Unconfirmed

  Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Duty[2]Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Dutyhindustantimes.com

  Reported: 2026-10-30

  Activision confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 used real-world news footage and said it did not intend to reference or trivialise the Itaewon disaster or another real-world tragedy. The company had not yet responded to demands to remove the footage.

• 2026-10-23

  Polaris DAGOR joins Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4[6]Polaris DAGOR加入《使命召唤：现代战争4》prnewswire.com

  Reported: 2026-10-23

  Polaris announced that its DAGOR would join Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as a playable in-game vehicle, marking a new milestone in its ongoing collaboration with Call of Duty.

• Unconfirmed

  Samsung becomes official TV, monitor, soundbar and Wi-Fi speaker of Call of Duty franchise[7]三星成为《使命召唤》系列官方电视、显示器、条形音箱和Wi-Fi音箱合作伙伴techtimes.com

  Reported: 2026-08-28

  Samsung confirmed plans to expand its HDR10+ GAMING ecosystem to more than 20 AAA titles by H1 2027, with Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 as the flagship partnership title, in a deal making Samsung the official TV, monitor, soundbar, and Wi-Fi speaker of the franchise.

• 2022-01-04

  Activision sues EngineOwning over game cheats[4]Activision sues EngineOwning over game cheatstheverge.com

  Reported: 2022-01-05

  Activision Publishing filed a lawsuit against EngineOwning, which it says distributes and sells software enabling cheating in Activision-published games. Activision alleges the conduct is unlawful and seeks to stop it; the claims are allegations in the lawsuit.

• 2021-08-19

  Call of Duty: Vanguard announced[8]《使命召唤：先锋》公布eurogamer.net

  Reported: 2021-08-19

  Activision Blizzard announced Call of Duty: Vanguard, a World War II-set shooter developed by Sledgehammer Games, with release planned for November 5 on PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles and PC via Battle.net.

• 2020-09-23

  ASTRO Gaming introduces Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War A10 Headset[9]ASTRO Gaming推出《使命召唤：黑色行动冷战》A10耳机finanznachrichten.de

  Reported: 2020-09-23

  ASTRO Gaming introduced a limited-edition Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War A10 headset. The headset was available for pre-order for $69.99, with shipping planned for fall 2020.

• Unconfirmed

  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered price reduced in Hong Kong PlayStation Store[10]《使命召唤：现代战争2战役重制版》港服PS商店售价下调diy.zol.com.cn

  Reported: 2020-04-02

  The Hong Kong PlayStation Store price for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered was reduced from HK$235 to HK$155.

• 2020-04-01

  Court dismisses AM General lawsuit against Activision[5]Court dismisses AM General lawsuit against Activisionkotaku.com

  Reported: 2020-04-01

  A federal judge dismissed AM General’s lawsuit against Activision over Call of Duty’s depiction of Humvees, agreeing that the vehicles’ inclusion furthered the games’ artistic realism.

• 2020-03-31

  Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered launches on PS4[11]《使命召唤：现代战争2 战役重制版》登陆PS4comingsoon.net

  Reported: 2020-03-31

  Activision released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered on PlayStation 4 on March 31, 2020. The remastered game does not include multiplayer modes.

Showing the 10 most recent.

1. 1Call of Duty official websitecallofduty.com
2. 2Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Dutyhindustantimes.com
3. 3Activision responds to criticism over Itaewon footage in Call of Dutyazernews.az
4. 4Activision sues EngineOwning over game cheatstheverge.com
5. 5Court dismisses AM General lawsuit against Activisionkotaku.com
6. 6Polaris DAGOR加入《使命召唤：现代战争4》prnewswire.com
7. 7三星成为《使命召唤》系列官方电视、显示器、条形音箱和Wi-Fi音箱合作伙伴techtimes.com
8. 8《使命召唤：先锋》公布eurogamer.net
9. 9ASTRO Gaming推出《使命召唤：黑色行动冷战》A10耳机finanznachrichten.de
10. 10《使命召唤：现代战争2战役重制版》港服PS商店售价下调diy.zol.com.cn
11. 11《使命召唤：现代战争2 战役重制版》登陆PS4comingsoon.net
12. 12Activision Blizzard宣布《使命召唤》新作将于2020年第四季度推出vgchartz.com
13. 13《使命召唤：现代战争》发售thexboxhub.com
14. 14Modern Warfare 4 faces backlash after real footage of South Korean crowd crush tragedy was discovered in game's opening momentseurogamer.net
15. 15Quebec-made Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered launches on PS4mobilesyrup.com