The Call of Duty Chronology: Learn about the history of the franchise's games

It's almost instinctive, we like war games, full of explosions and armed conflicts. See below, to Call of Duty timeline, one of the greatest war game series ever made. Let's follow the order of events within the Call of Duty universe, taking into account all its more than 100 years of conflicts.

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Table of Contents

• 1. Call of Duty: WW2 (entre 1940 – 1945)
• 2. Call of Duty 2 (entre 1941 – 1945)
• 3. Call of Duty: World at War (entre 1942 – 1945)
• 4. Call of Duty (entre 1942 – 1945)
• 5. Call of Duty 3 (1944)
• 6. Call of Duty: Black Ops (entre 1961 – 1968)
• 7. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1981)
• 8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (1986 – 1989) – Alex Mason
• 9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (1996 – 2011)
• 10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (1999 – 2019)
• 11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2016)
• 12. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2016 – 2017)
• 13. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2015 – 2027)
• 14. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2025) – David Mason
• 15. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2043)
• 16. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2054 – 2061)
• 17. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2065 – 2070)
• 18. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (circa 2080)

1. Call of Duty: WW2 (entre 1940 – 1945)

One of the latest releases is the first in chronological plot order. World War II takes place before all others. The first year the game dates back is 2, but most of the story takes place between 1940 and 1944. 

The story follows soldier Ronald “Red” Daniels and his squad of infantrymen as they try to wipe out the Nazis at the end of WWII.

• Release year: 2017
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox One, PS4

2. Call of Duty 2 (entre 1941 – 1945)

Most of the first Call Of Duty titles start in 1942, the second game is an exception as it starts in late 1941. During the campaign, you control soldiers from three of the allied powers: USA, Great Britain and Russia. Each of the adventures takes place separately, and all with many difficult obstacles to overcome. 

• Release year: 2005
• Plataformas: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360

3. Call of Duty: World at War (entre 1942 – 1945)

Call of Duty's chronology, at least in the first titles, is pretty confusing. At the beginning of the game, the player takes part in the attack on Makin Island, which took place in 1942, like his real-life counterpart. The rest of the story plays out in a similar way, as it gets involved in many famous WW2 battles and incidents. In each mission, a few American troops follow or the focus goes to a Russian squad. 

• Release year: 2008
• Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS

4. Call of Duty (entre 1942 – 1945)

Although it also started in 1942, most of the first game takes place in 1944 and 1945, when the Allied powers oppose Nazi forces. 

In classic COD style, the campaign allows you to observe three different perspectives on the war, with different protagonists. The main characters belong to different nations, but they all have the same goal of turning the war in favor of the allied powers.  

• Release year: 2003
• Plataformas: Windows, Mac, Ps3, Xbox 360

5. Call of Duty 3 (1944)

Finally an easier game to define the period. Call of Duty 3's campaign focuses exclusively on 1944 with most of the attention focused on the Battle of Normandy - the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. 

Another interesting aspect of the story is that Polish, French, and Canadian forces all play big roles in the plot, alongside the well-known American and British soldiers. 

• Release year: 2006
• Platforms: Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii

6. Call of Duty: Black Ops (entre 1961 – 1968)

We began the adventures of covert operations during the Cold War. More so than most Call Of Duty games, the Black Ops series is narrative focused. 

Much of the story is told from the perspective of a man named Alex Mason, who is being interrogated in 1968. During these scenes, the character recounts key moments from recent years, which are shown through playable flashbacks. The first memory took place in 1961, at the time of the Bay of Pigs invasion, Cuba.

• Release year: 2010
• Plataformas: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Nintendo DS, Wii

7. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1981)

As the name suggests, the events of COD: Black Ops Cold War take place during the "final period" of the Cold War. More specifically, the entire campaign takes place in 1981 and features the return of some characters from the first title. 

They are all part of a team led by a CIA agent named Russell Adler, who is hunting a Soviet agent named Perseus. 

• Release year: 2020
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5

8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (1986 – 1989) – Alex Mason

It is important to remember that this title will appear twice in the list, as the distance between the events is one generation, so it will be easier to locate. In Black Ops 2, you control Alex Mason and his son David at different points in the campaign. 

When the characters switch, the time period also changes. Alex's quests take place in the 1980s, while David's sections are in the future.

• Release year: 2012
• Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U

9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (1996 – 2011)

COD4 was the first title to take the series out of a World War II setting – or its direct consequence of the Cold War. Instead, the game's main events take place over a week in 2011. 

Playing himself as Soap of the SAS and Jackson of the USMC, who are separately trying to stop a terrorist threat. In addition, in two missions, a flashback to 1996 is made, obtaining more information about the main antagonist. 

• Release year: 2007
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo DS, Wii

10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (1999 – 2019)

A continuation of the series, during the game Agent Price doesn't just join forces with the CIA; he also allies himself with Arab soldiers and freedom fighters. They all band together to stop the Russians who have taken Urzikstan. Parts of the game are flashbacks that take you to the year 1999.

• Release year: 2019
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox One, PS4

11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2016)

Five years after the first Modern Warfare, Soap MacTavish has become a Captain and is leading a special forces unit called Task Force 141. His group spends the game hunting down Vladimir Makarov, who is the leader of the Russian ultranationalist party. Still, another villain is discovered in the "play" that is closer than you think.

• Release year: 2009
• Plataformas: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4

12. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2016 – 2017)

A simple sequel in the Call of Duty timeline. Modern Warfare 3 picks up where the previous title left off, with Price and Nikolai taking the injured Soap to safety. The story is still about tracking down and stopping Makarov. Task Force 141, Delta Force and the SAS are all ready to end the Russian ultranationalist threat.

• Release year: 2011
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii

13. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2015 – 2027)

In the prologue to Call of Duty: Ghosts, a group known as the “Federation” launches an ODIN attack against the United States in 2017. So the story jumps forward ten years, with the country still reeling from the blast. 

A sabotage operations team called the Ghosts is at war with the Federation. Most of the adventure takes place in 2027, but there is a flashback to 2015 at one point. 

• Release year: 2013
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, Wii U

14. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2025) – David Mason

Back in the game, the Black Ops 2 missions that follow David Mason - codename: Section - take place in 2025. As his father did many years earlier, Section spends his part of the campaign trying to track down one of the series' best villains, Raul Menendez, to stop him once and for all. 

• Release year: 2012
• Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U

15. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2043)

There is no traditional, linear campaign for Black Ops 4, as the title is entirely geared towards multiplayer modes. However, there are still some scenes in the game that tell the personal stories of the multiplayer characters. Training missions appear to take place in 2043. 

• Release year: 2018
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox One, PS4

16. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2054 – 2061)

In Advanced Warfare, you play as Jack Mitchell, facing off against various different enemy factions, first as a Marine and later as a member of Atlas. The real villain is not revealed until mid-game. 

The entire adventure takes place in the 2050s and early 2060s. As a result, one can make use of some futuristic and high-tech gear throughout the campaign. 

• Release year: 2014
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4

17. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2065 – 2070)

We are nearing the end of the Call of Duty timeline. The drone strikes made by Raul Menendez at the end of Black Ops 2, made the world stand in ground combat with some futuristic weapons. 

During Black Ops 3, the player experiences this renewed interest in ground attacks by participating in the third Cold War. The conflict is fought between factions known as the “Winslow Agreement” and the “Common Defense Pact”. 

• Release year: 2015
• Plataformas: Windows, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4

18. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (circa 2080)

The saga ends with the game taking place around 2080 – just a guess – so the furthest into the future by at least 10 years and you play as Captain Nick Reyes. The character is a Tier 1 Special Ops pilot and leads his forces against the enemy – believe it or not, in space! 

Earth is not as we know it and resources are depleting faster than ever while the solar system is being explored to find new colonies. 

• Release year: 2016
• Plataformas: Windows, Xbox One, PS4

Official page: Call of Duty.