The Ultimate Guide to Playing Call of Duty: Release Date vs. Story Order

The Call of Duty franchise is one of the most successful and beloved video game series, with currently over 20 titles spanning decades of gaming history. Whether you're new to the series or a long-time fan looking to revisit the campaigns, understanding the order in which to play the games can be a bit tricky. The franchise offers both a chronological story order and a release order, and each has its own appeal. Here’s a quick guide to help you figure out the best way to experience Call of Duty.

Release Order:

If you want to experience Call of Duty as it was released, this is the order you’ll follow:

1. Call of Duty (2003) 
2. Call of Duty 2 (2005) 
3. Call of Duty 3 (2006) 
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) 
5. Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) 
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) 
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2011) 
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)
10. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
11. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
12. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015)
13. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
14. Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
15. Call of Duty: Black Ops IV (2018)
16. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered (2019) 
17. Call of Duty: Warzone (2020)
18. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) 
19. Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
20. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Campaign Remastered (2022)
21. Call of Duty: Black Ops VI (2024)

Story Order:

If you’re looking to experience the Call of Duty series in chronological story order, it’s a different journey. Some games are standalone, while others build on each other, so you’ll want to follow this list for the most coherent narrative:

1. Call of Duty: World at War (2008) – Set in the closing days of WWII.
2. Call of Duty: WWII (2017) – A new take on the WWII campaign.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) – A Cold War story that connects to future titles.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) – Directly follows the original Black Ops storyline.
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012) – A mix of Cold War and futuristic combat.
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops VI (2024) – Builds on the Black Ops series with new storylines and gameplay innovations.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops III (2015) – Follows the events of Black Ops II, set in the future.
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) – A reboot of the Modern Warfare series with a modern narrative.
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) – The sequel to the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot.
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2011) – The original end of the Modern Warfare trilogy.
11. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013) – Set in a post-apocalyptic world.
12. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014) – Focuses on futuristic warfare.
13. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016) – The farthest point in the future, with space battles and futuristic tech.

Which Order Should You Play?

• For Newcomers: Starting with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) is a good choice to experience the shift to modern warfare and the start of the Modern Warfare saga. Then, you can go back to Black Ops for the Cold War era.
• For the Story Enthusiast: If you're into deep story immersion, play in chronological order to follow the events as they unfold in the Call of Duty universe. Start with World at War to get the full historical context.
• For the Completionist: If you’re aiming for 100% completion or want to experience everything the franchise offers, tackle both orders. Play through the main campaigns in release order and then follow the chronological story order to piece together the full narrative.

No matter which order you choose, Call of Duty is sure to provide action-packed experiences and an epic journey through modern and historical warfare!