ActivisionCall of Duty fans will never be able to agree on the best games in the series. Some prefer Black Ops to Modern Warfare, while others are obsessed with Advanced Warfare’s fluid movement systems. Not to mention the classic fans who swear by the original boots on the ground experience.
Now with Black Ops 7 out, there’s another entry to consider, so where does it place among the best CoD games of all time? We’ve scrutinized every annual installment and a handful of spinoffs to determine our rankings.
If you have a PC Game Pass subscription, you can try some of them for the cost of your sub. This year’s Black Ops 7 is available through the Ultimate tier.
Our Call of Duty fans on the team primarily considered multiplayer when ranking these games, but other factors – such as campaign and zombies – were also taken into account. Right, let’s shoot…
27. Call of Duty Vanguard
Activision- Release date: November 5, 2021
- Developer: Sledgehammer Games
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
Call of Duty: Vanguard was always going to struggle for a variety of reasons. The setting immediately put people off: the World War II theme had already been played out far too much in Call of Duty.
Unfortunately, the maps lacked fluidity, and the destructible walls and doors meant too many open lanes and strange routes. The TTK was also far too quick, and it wasn’t anywhere near as visually appealing as some of the games that came before it.
While the Campaign was inoffensive, multiplayer lacked innovation, and Zombies underwhelmed with dull objectives. That’s all before we mention the litany of bugs that hampered the experience.
26. Call of Duty 3
Activision- Release date: November 7, 2006
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS3, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii
CoD 3 was Treyarch’s first game in the franchise, and it failed to meet expectations. To be fair, senior producer Noah Heller claimed his team only had eight months to develop it, but we’re not handing out sympathy points.
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It wasn’t all terrible as it featured some impressive sound design and the series’ first-ever version of Ranked Play, but in an age where single-player campaigns were king, Call of Duty 3 was a step back from its predecessor – its lack of atmosphere and the mediocre storytelling were particularly disappointing.
25. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified
Activision- Release date: November 13, 2012
- Developer: nStigate Games
- Platforms: PlayStation Vita
Although it’s still hosting multiplayer lobbies to this day, Black Ops: Declassified struggled to bring the CoD experience to the PS Vita.
Set between the events of BO1 and BO2, its single-player missions are completely inconsequential, with some of the sloppiest AI we’ve seen in the franchise. Hostiles, essentially horde mode, did little to move the needle. Multiplayer had decent fundamentals for a handheld game, but shoddy performance and horrible map design made it a tough sell. It struggled to make much of an impact, and a sequel was never on the cards.
24. Call of Duty: Finest Hour
Activision- Release date: November 16, 2004
- Developer: Spark Unlimited
- Platforms: PS2, Xbox, GameCube
Finest Hour was the first Call of Duty game on consoles. While it borrowed elements from its PC counterpart, it featured a separate storyline and supported online matches on Xbox and PS2.
As the first outing, it ticked the right boxes in terms of pure FPS mechanics, but did little to wow players at the time. A hasty campaign featuring haphazard scenes from WWII, paired with unrefined multiplayer, formed a solid but largely uninspired shooter.
23. Call of Duty
Activision- Release date: October 29, 2003
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PC
The original Call of Duty began the legendary franchise over 20 years ago, going head-to-head with EA’s Medal of Honor. Needless to say, it won in the long run. This was in large part due to its innovative squad-based gameplay and the ability to ADS using iron sights, neither of which were standard features of the time.
These additions, as well as its diverse campaign featuring American, British, and Soviet forces, made Call of Duty a massive hit. By today’s standards, it is fairly primitive, but in 2003, this newcomer took FPS games to another level, and we shouldn’t forget its legacy.
22. Call of Duty: Ghosts
Activision / Dexerto- Release date: November 5, 2013
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC
Ghosts multiplayer was good for Search & Destroy, and Blitz was a fun new game mode that the devs should consider revisiting, but it just didn’t have any of the qualities of the games that came before it, such as MW2 and Black Ops 2, nor did it move the needle in terms of important new features.
The killstreak system that MW2 nailed was far less exciting in Ghosts, and it didn’t have the incredible map design of Black Ops 2.
The campaign was also forgettable, with the most memorable parts being memes. Yes, the fish move when you get close to them. Even worse, the overly grey color palette was bland, the mission design was repetitive, and the gameplay lacked that trademark CoD punch.
21. Modern Warfare II
Activision- Release date: October 28, 2022
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
When the original Modern Warfare 2 first dropped in 2009, it became one of the greatest CoD games ever made – spoilers for further down this list. The revamped killstreak system, incredible original maps, and iconic weaponry made it a generational success.
When the classic was rebooted in 2022, Infinity Ward failed to recapture the magic. Following its release, it suffered a year full of criticism as devs moved at a glacial pace to address the most pressing issues.
Movement was extremely slow compared to its predecessors, which had a negative impact on not only multiplayer but also Warzone. And those maps… the quality of your playground is one of the most important aspects of any first-person shooter, but these lacked flow and had zero excitement.
20. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Activision / Dexerto- Release date: November 4, 2016
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
The third and final ‘jetpack’ game, Infinite Warfare, came at a time when players were desperate to return to boots-on-the-ground gameplay.
Infinite Warfare’s trailer became the most disliked in the history of the franchise, with players already angry before it launched. Still, the game had its moments, with fun gunplay and the specialist abilities making for some cracking outplay potential (running Overdrive in Uplink was about as fun as CoD can get).
Some of the maps, such as Throwback and Retaliation, were severely underrated, though a lack of overall polish, an unruly TTK, and otherwise poor map design meant multiplayer was lackluster.
While we’ve ranked it quite low, the campaign is well worth experiencing for a taste of something different in the CoD franchise. It’s great sci-fi action, and Kit Harrington plays an entertaining antagonist.
19. Call of Duty: World War II
Activision- Release date: November 3, 2017
- Developer: Sledgehammer Games
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
World War 2 was the first post-jetpack Call of Duty game but it failed to live up to expectations. It wasn’t fun – the weapon balance was pretty poor and the level design was uninspiring. However, it did bring back the nostalgic feeling of playing the older games, while the COD HQ system was enjoyable and should be replicated at some point.
To give the game its flowers, things improved greatly halfway through the year with the promotion of Aaron Halon to Studio Head. There were drastic changes to sprint-out times, perks, and more to make the flow of the game significantly better, but unfortunately for many players, the damage had been done.
18. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Activision- Release date: November 10, 2023
- Developer: Sledgehammer Games
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
Modern Warfare 3 wasn’t dreadful, but it wasn’t anything to write home about. The campaign was incredibly brief, and the pivot to Open Combat level design didn’t do it any favors. The multiplayer was decent enough though, thanks to reintegrating MW2019’s movement systems with a layer of extra polish.
But with poor map design (excluding the classic remakes), and arguably the most cranked SBMM we’d ever seen, it struggled to capture that proper Call of Duty charm.
17. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Activision- Release date: November 14, 2025
- Developers: Treyarch & Raven Software
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
Yes, it’s admittedly still early days for the lifecycle of Black Ops 7, and a great deal can change over the course of a year, but at launch, BO7 is a middling CoD.
We called it the single worst campaign in franchise history. The brief offering manages to feel monotonous despite its short run time, and features utterly baffling mission design.
Mercifully, the BO7 package is salvaged by solid multiplayer and decent Zombies components. They’re not setting the world on fire by any means, as they lack any meaningful innovation across the board, but they can still serve up a few hours of fun on any given night.
16. Call of Duty: Mobile
Activision- Release date: September 29, 2019
- Developer: TiMi Studio Group
- Platforms: Android, iOS
It took a while to get going, but CoD Mobile has enjoyed years of success. There’s no campaign, but players can enjoy best-in-class handheld multiplayer and, when in season, an authentic round-based Zombies experience.
With a mix of maps, weapons, and modes spanning CoD’s history, it’s effectively a ‘greatest hits,’ and the best part, it’s completely free. We’d wager if CoD Mobile were supported on console and PC, it could very well take over.
15. Call of Duty 2: Big Red One
Activision- Release date: November 1, 2005
- Developers: Treyarch & High Voltage Software
- Platforms: PS2, Xbox, GameCube
Big Red One, a spinoff to Call of Duty 2, focused in on one specific group of US soldiers in WWII to deliver one of the better military campaigns of its time. Incorporating actors from HBO’s Band of Brothers, as well as Mark Hamill, it featured a stacked voice cast who brought the American crew to life.
Furthermore, its multiplayer component pushed boundaries on consoles with tons of maps and modes all housed under one roof. Given the already well-rounded FPS gameplay from CoD 2 on PC, it led to countless hours of explosive entertainment.
14. Call of Duty 2
Activision- Release date: October 25, 2005
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PC (later ported to Xbox 360 and Mobile)
Call of Duty 2 was everything a sequel should be. It built on the original’s success by implementing new ideas that would become staples of the franchise. This included regenerating health, the incoming frag grenade indicator, and an overhauled HUD that told players everything they needed to know at any given moment.
It also added multiplayer for the first time. This was limited and didn’t have any progression, but it laid the foundations for what was to come. However, it was the campaign that really elevated this game, with it telling one of the most compelling stories we’ve seen in the franchise, relaying the experience of WW2 through four different soldiers. To this day, it’s still worth playing.
13. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Activision- Release date: November 4, 2014
- Developer: Sledgehammer Games
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
To this day, some fans believe that the first of the three jetpack titles, Advanced Warfare, is a top-tier Call of Duty title.
You can see the appeal, too: the movement was fun, the guns were decent, albeit not super varied, and the competitive gameplay was extremely enjoyable.
Unfortunately, similar to Ghosts, it suffered in the wake of Black Ops 2. And sadly, after such a fantastic offering, Advanced Warfare felt like it brought Call of Duty back down to Earth after blasting into the stratosphere. Still, to this day, many hold out hope for a sequel to bring back frenetic movement.
12. Call of Duty: World at War
Activision- Release date: November 11, 2008
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC
Picking up where its predecessor left off, World at War was basically CoD 4 in WW2. It played and looked similar, and it borrowed a lot of ideas. Even though it wasn’t overly original, Treyarch’s second game was still great in its own right and made two massive changes that can’t be overlooked.
Firstly, it featured a co-op campaign, something that we’ve rarely seen since. More importantly, it was the first game to include Zombies, which has gone on to feature in 12 more titles. Alongside multiplayer and Warzone, this was one of the most significant innovations ever made in the series. Let’s also take a moment to appreciate what may be the hardest Veteran campaign of them all.
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Activision- Release date: October 25, 2019
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Yes – before you send us angry messages – we’re aware of how good Warzone is. We are not counting Warzone in with Modern Warfare 2019, as the battle royale hit obviously took on a huge life of its own.
If you simply look at MW2019 for what it was as a standalone title, it changed Call of Duty significantly, and not necessarily for the right reasons. TTK was shockingly fast, footstep audio made it impossible to make a sneaky play, and the decision to remove the minimap was one of the worst in CoD history.
That said, even without Warzone, it did help to breathe new life into the franchise. Gameplay was faster even than during the jetpack era, and the flow of the game was such that you were almost always in an engagement, making it non-stop action. It has developed a cult following, and many still play it to this day.
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Activision- Release date: October 25, 2024
- Developers: Treyarch & Raven Software
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
Upon release, Black Ops 6 was heralded as one of the greatest Call of Duty games in recent years, and for good reason. While the maps were a serious concern, the general flow of gameplay was near-flawless from Treyarch.
Omnimovement felt like a huge step forward for CoD, and the gunplay was incredibly smooth. Unfortunately, the map problem was a pretty significant one, with one pro player even telling Dexerto that it was the worst set of launch maps in CoD history.
However, with an exciting campaign and expansive Zombies modes, there was still plenty to enjoy.
9. Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Activision- Release date: November 13, 2020
- Developers: Treyarch & Raven Software
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PC
Black Ops Cold War immediately followed Modern Warfare 2019 and wasn’t received brilliantly by players who had rediscovered their love of CoD through that game.
It was a bit stale at times, the movement was less fluid, and it didn’t really do anything to reinvent the wheel for the FPS franchise.
However, it did feel more closely aligned to traditional Call of Duty titles than MW2019 did, making it far more solid and well-rounded. With it, Treyarch took the complaints that the player base had of the previous year and implemented changes to immediately fix the biggest problems. The pacing was readable, gunfights felt more fluid, and it was a relief to see the minimap was back to normal.
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Activision- Release date: October 12, 2018
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
After the disappointing World War II year, Black Ops 4 felt like a great middle ground between the frenetic advanced movement of the jetpack years and the boots-on-the-ground gameplay players had been clamoring for to return.
While some players took umbrage with the Specialists system, BO4 delivered a fast-paced Call of Duty game that felt fresh, had good maps, and a nicely balanced meta where just about any playstyle could thrive. A seriously underrated gem.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Activision- Release date: November 6, 2015
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, macOS
Undoubtedly the best of the three jetpack games, Black Ops 3 was a fantastic experience.
The movement was far smoother than in Advanced Warfare, and the maps flowed wonderfully, with inventive routes and a decent spread of action-packed areas mixed with quieter areas to recoup and replan.
The Dark Matter camo – the first of its kind – was revolutionary for players who wanted a real grind in CoD beyond just leveling up and prestiging, and the introduction of Prestige Master made it difficult to put down.
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Activision- Release date: November 8, 2011
- Developer: Infinity Ward & Sledgehammer Games
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, macOS
The original Modern Warfare 3 sometimes flies under the radar because it dropped slap bang in the middle of the top CoD games ever released, but it is right up there with the best.
It followed Modern Warfare 2 fairly closely, despite many big names from Infinity Ward dipping to work on Respawn Entertainment (Titanfall, Apex Legends), and it delivered some all-time classic maps paired with snappy gunplay.
It felt like what players wanted from a Modern Warfare game, rounding out the original trilogy with enjoyable new features like the Spec Ops mode and Specialist perks.
5. Call of Duty: Warzone (2020)
Activision- Release date: March 10, 2020
- Developer: Infinity Ward & Raven Software
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Call of Duty’s second attempt at a battle royale, Warzone, launched in March 2020 and immediately soared up the charts. While 2018’s Blackout was fun, Warzone was free to play and delivered a superior BR experience on just about every metric.
For many, Warzone was what helped get them back into CoD, and the regular slew of map changes, new weapons, and surprising changes kept the experience fresh.
While it has faltered in the years since, with some integrations proving less successful than others, none can deny the impact Warzone made at its peak.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Activision- Release date: November 9, 2010
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PC
Black Ops had a lot to live up to when it followed the original Modern Warfare 2, but the first game of the subseries had some of the greatest maps and guns in CoD history.
Nuketown and Firing Range are all-timers, the guns felt fantastic, and the introduction of Party Games like Gun Game and One in the Chamber really brought the fun to CoD.
The campaign and Zombies were both enjoyable, too, and while it didn’t get plaudits at the time, it really did hold its own in what is considered the golden era of Call of Duty.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Activision- Release date: November 13, 2012
- Developer: Treyarch
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PC
It’s hard to argue against Black Ops 2 being one of the best Call of Duty games ever – it served just about every community and playstyle to perfection.
The competitive scene blew up, sniping blew up, content creators blew up, all off the back of what is arguably a perfect CoD.
Maps like Raid, Standoff, and Slums are all-time greats and have been frequently remastered for that reason. Weapons such as the Ballista, DSR, and M8A1 were iconic but didn’t completely run the meta. Everything felt like it ran smoothly between multiplayer, Zombies, and the campaign.
Treyarch provided a blueprint for what every CoD title should strive to do going forward, and while there have been some greats since, not one has truly exceeded the expectations it set back in 2012.
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Activision- Release date: November 10, 2009
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
The debate over which of the two best CoD games deserves the number one spot may never die down, but for us, Modern Warfare 2 just comes second.
It blew up Call of Duty to new heights in the industry, introduced the killstreak system that thrives to this day, and even gave us the Tactical Nuke, something that only the best players dreamed of earning back in their prime.
The maps are arguably the best launch maps CoD has ever had, while players still get excited when iconic weapons like the Intervention or UMP45 return.
The campaign also features some of the most iconic levels in CoD history, as well as some of the more memorable plot twists you’ll find in any FPS of the era.
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Activision- Release date: November 5, 2007
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, macOS
CoD 4 is the most influential Call of Duty game ever made. Its campaign was sensational and started a memorable trilogy, but the multiplayer is where this game innovated in ways no one could have imagined. It genuinely changed the landscape of FPS games forever.
It saw the introduction of leveling, prestige, killstreaks, and loadouts. Even its setting was revolutionary, as its competitors were mostly growing stagnant in the WW2 era. The jump to a modern timeline sent shockwaves through the industry.
It later got remastered, with Activision needing a big hitter to sell Infinite Warfare after a rough marketing campaign. A decade after its launch, CoD 4’s legacy meant fans were still willing to pay, showing just how legendary this game was.
If you’re looking for more great games like Call of Duty that you can play now, why not check out our list of the best multiplayer games on Game Pass?