Call of Duty Games Ranked: What Entry in the Series is Best?
Since launching in 2003, Call of Duty has grown to become the best-selling first-person shooter game series ever made, shifting over 425 million copies globally. Across the 24 entries in the series (including Warzone, Warzone 2 and Mobile) we’ve been treated to storylines ranging from the Second World War to the near and even far future, with each game showcasing CoD’s trademark immersive and varied gameplay alongside a gripping plot.
With so many entries to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start. We’ve ranked our top ten Call of Duty games, so read on to see where your favourite places.
10. Call of Duty: Warzone (2020)
Debate rages as to whether Warzone can be considered a standalone entry in the series, what can’t be denied is its popularity. Daily player counts average at 83,220 and can still peak at 150,000, with fans flocking to partake in the massive multiplayer gaming and detailed avatar customisation.
Warzone launched in March 2020 as part of Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) and was then also connected to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) and Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021) but could be played without purchasing these titles. As a free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter, it allowed up to 150 players to compete at once and featured cross-platform play and progression, expanding on the groundwork laid by hugely popular online versions of previous CoD games. Warzone 2.0 (now known as just Warzone) was released in 2022.
The aim of the game is to be last surviving Operator or Squad of Operators, with gameplay taking place across a range of maps. Players can customise their Operator by buying items using in-game cash (which can be purchased after topping up your wallet in the game using PaysafeCard) with everything from weapons to vehicles available. This, combined with the ability for groups of friends to play together, propelled Warzone’s success, ushering in a new era for the Call of Duty series.
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
The sixth instalment in the Black Ops sub-series was known for one thing: variety. Its huge amount of game modes and an extremely compelling storyline meant it offered something to suit most tastes. This was combined with a decent Zombies mode.
8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
Preceded by some of the best-loved entries in the Call of Duty series (more on those later), Modern Warfare 3 was in an unenviable position. It managed, however, to admirably rise to the challenge, closing off the Modern Warfare trilogy in style.
Its multiplayer function saw the introduction of proficiencies and weapons progression, elevating an already stellar part of the CoD experience to new levels. This was matched by an equally compelling and playable campaign that picked up right where Modern Warfare 2 ended.
7. Call of Duty (2003)
The entry that started it all has stood the test of time. In an era when Second World War first-person shooters were all the rage, Call of Duty took a unique approach by offering campaign missions from the perspective of an American, British, and Soviet solider. These involved partaking in historical battles, like the Batte of the Bulge, Operation Overlord and the Battle of Berlin.
As well as being one of the earliest first-person shooters to use iron sights, Call of Duty also introduced ‘shellshock’, simulating the momentary disorientation and loss of hearing after being close to an explosion. The foundation was set not only to launch what would become the Call of Duty behemoth, but for how first-person shooters would look and play forever.
6. Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (2012)
Black Ops 2 was the first entry in the series that transported players to the future, something that would become commonplace in later releases. It continued Alex Mason’s Cold War story from the first Black Ops game into the 1980s while also introducing us to his son David, fighting in 2025. Father and son both fought Raul Menendez, one of the best CoD villains. His fate, as well as that of the protagonists, differed depending on players’ actions.
Combining this series-first campaign story with multiplayer additions like the Pick 10 system and Scorestreaks, as well as light-hearted Zombies mode, only elevated Black Ops 2’s standing the CoD series.
5. Call of Duty 2 (2005)
The second instalment in the franchise achieved something rare: a sequel better than the original. By acting as a launch title for the Xbox 360, it displayed everything that was possible in next-gen gaming. Everything from weapons to scenery was rendered in previously unseen detail, with the regenerating health system and superb sound also praised. The campaign remained in the Second World War but expanded to four protagonists thanks to an extra British solider.
CoD 2 also ushered in online multiplayer (even if it was just eight players per match), something that would be the bedrock of future series entries.
4. Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
After turning to contemporary combat in the Modern Warfare entries, Call of Duty World at War brought us back to the Second World War. In a series first, the campaign was set in the Pacific, with other missions featuring the Red Army’s fight back in Stalingrad onto the Battle of Berlin.
World at War will be best remembered, though, for the introduction of Zombies. Automatically launching once the last campaign mission ended, Zombies would go on to become a mainstay of all future CoD games, bolstered by a strong online multiplayer mode and creative weapons and perks upgrades.
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
Black Ops’ story charted new ground by taking us into the Cold War, using protagonist Alex Mason to show a series of covert operations carried out by the CIA in 1961-8 as they stop Soviet sleeper agents activating the US and deploying an experimental chemical weapon. The result is arguably the best campaign story in the whole series, with a shock ending that lived long in the memory.
Black Ops also saw the introduction of some iconic online multiplayer maps, such as Firing Range and Nuketown, which went on to feature on multiple future entries. There was also an interesting update to Zombies. Not only was it now a separate mode, but players could play as John F. Kennedy, Fidel Casto, Richard Nixon, or Robert McNamara.
2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
When Call of 4: Modern Warfare debuted in 2007, it was hailed as an instant classic. Its combination of a stellar campaign and superb online multiplayer experience revolutionised video games and gave the Call of Duty series its identity. Not only did it include the legendary mission All Ghillied Up, but it was the first time we met Soap and Captain Price.
Multiplayer centred on killstreaks, unlocking weapons, and building out perks, everything that would become classic Call of Duty in the years that followed.
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Modern Warfare 2 took the excellence of its predecessor and somehow improved it. Not only is it one of the best first-person shooters ever made, it's in consideration for one of the greatest games of all time.
A shocking, twist-filled campaign was paired with an updated multiplayer version that saw thousands around the world dedicating days to master it. Killstreaks could now be customised, and even more maps added, alongside the introduction of cooperative sec ops. The result was the pinnacle of the Call of Duty series that continues to garner praise to this day.
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