Every Call of Duty Game RANKED

It’s the lowest-rated “Call of Duty” ever released, by a significant margin. This is because it’s fundamentally a game that doesn’t need to exist, adding nothing new over its direct predecessor - which, remember, only came out the previous year. This is because it was merely meant to be a Sledgehammer-led expansion, but Activision bumped it to a full release, apparently because it was unthinkable that 2023 could come and go without a new “Call of Duty” to play. Even the most diehard fans could see that Activision was trying to rip them off, though, and the game launched with ZERO new multiplayer maps. Its campaign was also one of the worst in the franchise’s history.

Sledgehammer’s previous “COD” outing was 2021’s “Vanguard”, which was also poorly received - but at least it was a game, just about, instead of a way to recycle “Modern Warfare 2” maps. But it was an overall bizarre game, full of tokenistic representation of marginalized groups; some speculated that this attempt at progressive politics was all to distract gamers from the monumental scandal raging at Activision at the time, as it was in the midst of being sued for labor law violations in the state of California. Whatever the reason, it proved an unpopular choice with players across the political spectrum - though many still touted the campaign and multiplayer as pretty fun.

The first title developed entirely by Sledgehammer, “Advanced Warfare” was one of the most ambitious since the original “Modern Warfare.” It had every reason to succeed: a fresh studio given plenty of freedom, lots of new gameplay mechanics that made the multiplayer faster than ever before, and big-name stars as its hero and villain. But it’s impossible to deny that “Advanced Warfare” has proven to be incredibly forgettable, despite everything it did well. Almost nothing about it has stuck with fans of the series – in fact, the only thing memorable was the infamous meme. Press F to pay respects to the fact nobody cares about “Advanced Warfare” anymore.

“COD” campaigns are typically short and sweet; solid stories with great actors that last for a good few hours until throwing you right into the multiplayer. But Treyarch decided to forgo a standard, single-player campaign in favor of focusing even more on multiplayer. And to the game’s credit, the Blackout mode is a lot of fun for battle royale fans – which is basically everybody at this point. However, one big issue plagued “Black Ops 4” that has been one of modern gaming’s most controversial features: microtransactions. It had some of the absolute worst microtransaction markets the franchise has seen, and that’s never a good way to win over fans.

It’s always great when “COD” does something innovative, but “Infinite Warfare” was just too different from its predecessors to become a fan-favorite. Even before its release, it was clear this was going to be a divisive game; its trailer remains one of the most disliked videos in YouTube’s history. When it launched, players were given an interesting, sci-fi campaign with another winning cast – but the multiplayer left much to be desired. Despite promising something different, the actual gameplay was more of the same with an outer space coat of paint. But one part of “Infinite Warfare” definitely stood out: it had an awesome Zombies offering.

The “Modern Warfare” trilogy was one of the franchise’s highest points, and unfortunately, Infinity Ward wasn’t able to properly follow it up when “Ghosts” came around. But a game isn’t bad just because it’s not as good as some of the best titles of all time. It’s got a longer, more challenging story than other entries with highly varied missions – including one where you scuba dive and fight sharks. But the multiplayer took “Black Ops II’s” “Pick 10” system and made it unnecessarily convoluted; you could spend hours trying to build elaborate, confusing loadouts before finding one that worked for you.

It didn’t quite reach the lofty heights of 2019’s reboot of the “Modern Warfare” series, but it did outsell it, and proved a hit with long-time fans. When done right, “Modern Warfare” games become instant classics, but that’s a reason why this instalment, popular as it is, ranks a little lower on our list. Ultimately, it WAS just a rehash of the older games, just without all the broken, hacked lobbies you’re forced to contend with if you try to play those games now. Still, if you love “Modern Warefare”, you probably had more than enough fun with this sequel, with its action sequences spectacular enough to distract from the middling plot of the campaign.

The third game in the franchise had an amazing single-player offering, with numerous campaigns following allied forces across Europe as they fought to liberate France. Treyarch’s first game proved their knack for creating awesome stories full of great moments, as the four campaigns intersected with one another; you really felt as though you were working towards a common goal with whole armies behind you. The multiplayer was solid as well. Though it might not hold up today thanks to years of tech developments, for a game that came out in 2006, it’s still a lot of fun even if you’re just jumping into it now.

After years of exploring the future of warfare, Sledgehammer took “Call of Duty” back to its roots: the Second World War made a grand return and shed lots of the modern gimmicks. Gone were the exosuits and drone strikes, for much of the game it was just you, your gun, and your grenades. This back-to-basics approach won a lot of people over, but “World War II” certainly wasn’t perfect. It was also jam-packed with microtransactions, including loot boxes, and plenty of cosmetics. And this only got worse the longer the game was out, adding more and more systems on top of each other even as they fixed the horrendous technical issues at launch.

Two years on from the disastrous “Black Ops 4” and its lack of story, “Black Ops” returned with this 1980s-edition of “Call of Duty”, bringing back some series favorites and throwing you into the last few years of the Cold War. It had a phenomenal campaign, sending you to unravel the mystery of Perseus, the Soviet Union’s top spy, and taking you through Vietnam, Berlin, and the Middle East to do it. The multiplayer was great, too, with a lot of new maps and returning maps from the franchise. It did suffer from one big problem, though: the user interface for online play was just as complicated as other recent “COD” games, even if it did offer a glut of customization options.

Treyarch decided to make everything a little “Deus Ex” in 2015 by giving players a wealth of cybernetic abilities to utilize. In a more robust campaign than most, you could upgrade these many “augmentations” and play co-op with three of your friends. The multiplayer put an even heavier emphasis on learning how to move properly, letting you boost and wall-run once more. This made the already fast-paced and constantly exciting gameplay even more so than before and the 1940s Noir-themed Zombie mode makes “Black Ops III” a must-play for any zombie fan.

In 2019, it was Infinity Ward’s turn to take the series back to its roots with a bombastic reboot of the “Modern Warfare” series. The dark and intense single-player campaign has a stellar voice cast for its developed and interesting characters, as well as some truly unique story moments. Meanwhile, the multiplayer boasts some of the best and most detailed sound design in any modern game, sure to keep you on your toes. Its beautiful graphics and frenetic action are more than enough to make up for that infamously huge file size. And, of course, Activision released “Warzone” for free, meaning the series’ great gameplay was more accessible than ever.

Back in World War II once more, Infinity Ward was still on top form for their second outing in what would become a legendary series. This time there were three distinct campaigns. While there were plenty of missions that took place in Occupied France, as you’d expect, it also featured more interesting settings, including the British campaign across Northern Africa and a Soviet campaign in Moscow. As for the multiplayer, it had all the modes you’d expect from “Call of Duty” and all the style as well, with incredible visuals for the time. The franchise certainly didn’t suffer from the sophomore slump, and only got stronger from that point on.

In 2011, we rejoined series favorites, Soap MacTavish and Captain Price, to wrap up the story begun in “Modern Warfare”, and the narrative was definitely a fitting conclusion; now playing as Yuri, it was down to the player to help Price finally kill Makarov. But for any fans expecting innovation, it wasn’t to be. “Modern Warfare 3’s” multiplayer was practically identical to “Modern Warfare 2” – though it does get points for adding the Kill Confirmed mode that remains popular. Being so similar to “Modern Warfare 2” isn’t a bad thing at all, but it does mean “3” was disappointing. Who wants to buy the exact same game twice?

Where lots of “World War II” games focus on the war in France – and the “Call of Duty” franchise is certainly no exception – “World at War” went in the other direction and saw you fighting Imperial Japan in the Pacific and helping the Soviets to victory in Eastern Europe. But while the story and multiplayer were both pretty great, “World at War” shone for another reason: introducing zombies. It’s difficult now to imagine “COD” without the undead hoards, but once, Treyarch were visionaries for imagining the series with them. With a dark story and violent animations, virtual warfare never felt so brutal.

The one that started it all. Though far more limited in both scope and vision, you have to give the original “Call of Duty” credit for beginning one of the most popular and profitable video game franchises of all time. Developed by Infinity Ward, the game managed to stand out from the crowd in a time where Second World War shooters were absolutely everywhere. The story treads familiar ground – Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of Stalingrad – but with that trademark “Call of Duty” flare: giant set pieces, lots of explosions, and some of the best gunplay in the business. It’s a genre-defining title for a reason, after all.

This was the very first time the series went to the future, heading to 2025 after the instigation of a new Cold War. Two stories run side-by-side, as returning protagonist Alex Mason is joined in the future by his son while they try to take down Raul Menendez. It even included multiple choices and branching narratives. On the multiplayer side of things, Treyarch fully leaned into “Call of Duty’s” eSports potential by adding “League Mode”, cementing the shooter as an annual, highly competitive title. The zombie mode was also the most robust yet, with customizable challenges and lots of large, dynamic maps.

Infinity Ward made numerous acclaimed games in wartime France, but the original “Modern Warfare” remains the biggest innovation the franchise has ever seen. Now, players had access to a modern array of weapons and perks, in interesting, urban settings as you fought in Russia and the Middle East. It also revolutionized the online component by adding killstreak rewards, something it’s now impossible to imagine the series without. UAVs and choppers are invaluable tools you just don’t get in World War II. The bold approach and change of gears this game took definitely paid off for the franchise big time.

In 2010, it was Treyarch’s turn to ditch World War II in search of something new, and they settled on the Cold War. You’re thrown into the 1960s, working for the CIA and dropping into conflicts like the Vietnam War and the Cuban Revolution. And the constant flashes to Mason’s interrogation keep the plot intrigue high. But the multiplayer added many franchise staples, like the RCXD you can use to covertly blow up the enemy team, not to mention one of the most iconic maps in the series: Nuketown. And when the zany zombie mode returned, you could even play as Kennedy, Castro, and Nixon themselves.

“Modern Warfare” was awesome, but the direct sequel honed that formula to gaming perfection. The campaign may have been on the short side, even for “Call of Duty”, but it didn’t have a single dull moment – not to mention that iconic plot twist; it’s no surprise the campaign was remastered as a standalone with a story that good. The online play was outstanding too, introducing a host of iconic maps like Rust and Terminal that continue to be some of the most beloved in the series. It’s more fun and addictive than every game that came before or after it, and continues to be the gold standard for first-person shooters.