Every Call of Duty Game Ranked by Release Timeline and Story Order

Call of Duty has been a staple in the FPS universe for over two decades now. The Call of Duty games list shows this franchise has explored multiple eras of warfare. From early World War II battles to the modern Cold War saga, this series has leaned into everything. CoD even featured futuristic warfare in the 22nd century. That is why there are so many titles to choose from. That said, here are all Call of Duty games in order, both chronologically and based on story.

List of All Call of Duty Games in Order of Release

The Call of Duty games in order list begins with the series' first entry, released in 2003. Since then, more than 20 games have launched. Some of them rank among the best PC games in 2026.

Here's a Complete List of All Call of Duty games in Order (Storyline)

Here's all the Call of Duty games in order based on the story:

Call of Duty: WWII

Call of Duty: WWII is set during the final years of World War II. This campaign follows Private Ronald Daniels of the U.S. 1st Infantry Division. The story focuses on Allied operations across Europe, including the Normandy invasion and the push toward Germany. The game also includes a cooperative Zombies mode tied to secret Nazi experiments. It is also one of the best single-player PC games right now.

Call of Duty 2

The World War II campaign follows multiple soldiers from the Allied Armies throughout the war. Players will have a chance to play numerous battles, including the defence of Moscow, the North African Campaign and the Invasion of Normandy, to name a few. The game uses a squad-based combat style and other tactical elements.

Call of Duty: Vanguard

The campaign introduces Task Force Vanguard, a special unit assembled near the end of World War II. Soldiers from various Allied Nations have their own investigations into the Nazi's secret operatives known as Project Phoenix. There are various flashbacks to their missions and the countries they fought in shown throughout the campaign. It is one of the top choices among all Call of Duty games in order.

Call of Duty

The original entry places players in three separate campaigns during World War II. You control American, British, and Soviet soldiers across key battles such as Stalingrad and Normandy. Missions are built around squad-based objectives with AI teammates assisting the player throughout the campaign.

Call of Duty: Finest Hour

Finest Hour retells parts of the early World War II timeline with separate Allied campaigns. Players fight as Soviet soldiers defending Stalingrad, British commandos operating in North Africa, and American troops moving through European battlefields. The game was the first Call of Duty designed specifically for consoles.

Call of Duty 2: Big Red One

This campaign is based on a single soldier, from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, who is part of the Big Red One. Missions cover the North African campaign, the invasion of Sicily, and the Normandy landings. The story tracks the unit’s journey through the war until their final push into Germany. The game's second iteration is also one of the most well-known titles among all Call of Duty games in order.

Call of Duty: World at War

World at War focuses on two fronts of World War II. The first part of this story follows Marine Private C. Miller, who is fighting in the Pacific theatre against the Japanese forces. The other part of the story follows a Soviet soldier, Dimitri Petrenko, as he and his fellow soldiers fight together towards Berlin. The game also introduced the Zombies mode in the Call of Duty games list.

Call of Duty 3

The story takes place during the Battle of Normandy in 1944. Players will assume control of characters representing several different Allied nations, including those from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Poland. The campaign centres on Operation Cobra, the Allied attempt to break through German defensive lines in occupied France.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Set during the Cold War, the story follows CIA operative Alex Mason. The narrative moves through missions in Cuba, Vietnam, and Soviet territory as he works to decode a series of mysterious numbers linked to a deadly chemical weapon known as Nova 6. The engaging gameplay ranks it among the best PC games of all time.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

This storyline takes place in 1981 and connects the events of the previous Black Ops titles. A CIA task force is working to locate a Soviet intelligence agent who goes by the name of Perseus. Throughout the game, players will work with familiar characters such as Mason and Woods while conducting various covert operations at locations around the globe that served as battlefields during the Cold War.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

The narrative of this title jumps back and forth between two timelines: the late 1980s and 2025. In the earlier timeline, players assume the role of Alex Mason as he pursues the terrorist Raul Menendez. The later timeline features Mason's son, David Mason, as he openly battles global unrest caused by the use of high-tech military weapons.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Set in the early 1990s during the Gulf War, the campaign follows a group of rogue CIA operatives investigating a conspiracy inside the agency. The story features Frank Woods, who assists new agents tracking a paramilitary group known as Pantheon. This is one of the best campaigns in the Call of Duty series.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

With this entry, the Call of Duty franchise finally moves from World War II into the current day modern warfare. Players alternate between U.S. Marines and British SAS soldiers. Their mission involves stopping a nuclear threat linked to Russian ultranationalists and a Middle Eastern insurgent faction.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)

This reboot presents a new version of the Modern Warfare universe. Captain Price finds himself working with CIA operatives and the local resistance in Urzikstan, battling terrorist groups, demands for chemical weapons, and covert international operations. Speaking of iconic names, check out recent coverage of the best Call of Duty names.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Ghosts presents an alternate world where the U.S. has been diminished by global conflict. Ghosts operate under special operations and fight the Federation of the Americas. Two brothers join the Ghosts to find and defeat their former commander, Gabriel Rorke.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

Set in 2035, Black Ops 7 continues the storyline connected to Black Ops 2. David Mason leads a Joint Special Operations Command unit investigating a powerful weapon capable of manipulating fear. The campaign introduces cooperative missions and takes place in the fictional city of Avalon.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

After the events in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, five years have gone by and the Task Force 141 is tracking down Russian extremist Vladimir Makarov. Missions involve global operations as the group attempts to prevent terrorist attacks and a large scale conflict between Russia and the United States.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The story in MW3 continues from where MW2 left off, and follows the conflict with Vladimir Makarov. Task Force 141 has established ties with international allies and continues to track down Makarov, along with other ultranationalist groups across the world, to prevent terrorist attacks from taking place. The campaign of MW3 serves as closure for the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare trilogy's storyline.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

The reboot series of Call of Duty has continued from where MW 2019 left off. In this game, Task Force 141 is once again targeting Iranian terrorist Hassan Zyani, with the assistance of Mexican Special Forces, as well as preventing missile attacks linked to global arms trafficking organisations.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

MW III picks up eight months after the end of MW II, as the Task Force 141 is pursuing Vladimir Makarov, who escaped from custody and began to organise a network of international terrorism. The campaign focuses on tracking his network across several regions.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Unlike most entries in the series, Black Ops 4 does not include a traditional campaign. Its narrative appears in Specialist training missions set in the 2040s. Multiplayer and the Blackout battle royale mode expand the Black Ops universe.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

The story of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare takes place in 2054 and follows Jack Mitchell, who joins a private military company known as Atlas. Using advanced exoskeleton technology, the soldiers of Atlas will carry out operations around the world, while Jack is going to learn more and more about the real motives of the Atlas Company.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Taking place in 2065, the world is defined by cybernetic soldiers and robotic warfare. The story follows a special operations unit investigating a military network breach. The campaign explores themes around artificial intelligence and neural warfare.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Set in the late 22nd century, the campaign follows Lieutenant Nick Reyes, who is part of the United Nations Space Alliance. Humanity is now spread out across the solar system, and Lt. Reyes will be leading a fleet against the Settlement Defence Front, which is the faction controlling the colonies on Mars.

That's all from us regarding all Call of Duty games in order. Now, if you are done with the Call of Duty games list, why not check out all the Yakuza Games in order?