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History of Call of Duty Timeline

(2003 - Present)

Call of Duty is one of the most successful first-person shooter franchises in video game history. Launched in 2003 by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, the series began with World War II settings before expanding into modern and futuristic warfare. With annual releases, a free-to-play battle royale mode (Warzone), and a massive competitive esports scene, Call of Duty has become a cultural phenomenon with over 400 million copies sold worldwide. Less

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In-Game Campaigns

American campaign begins at Camp Toccoa

Aug 1, 1942

The American campaign begins in August 1942 with Private Martin, a newly enlisted member of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment in Baker Company, completing basic training at Camp Toccoa under the supervision of Cpt. Foley.

Soviet campaign begins at Stalingrad

Sep 1, 1942

The Soviet campaign begins during the Battle of Stalingrad in September 1942, following the story of Private Voronin as he fights through one of World War II's most brutal battles.

Martin establishes landing zone for Operation Overlord

Jun 6, 1944

In June 1944, Private Martin establishes a landing zone for soldiers participating in Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy depicted in the American campaign.

Attack on Bavarian manor to rescue British officers

Aug 1, 1944

After Operation Overlord, Martin and his unit are reassigned to participate in an attack on a Bavarian manor in August 1944 to rescue two British officers, Captain Price and Major Ingram.

Image source: Call of Duty (video game)

Attack on Bavarian manor to rescue British officers

Voronin serves with the 150th Rifle Division

Jan 1, 1945

In January 1945, Voronin, now a full Sergeant, serves with the 150th Rifle Division of the 3rd Shock Army during the final push toward Berlin in the Soviet campaign.

Development

Infinity Ward studio formed

2002

Call of Duty was developed by Infinity Ward, a new studio formed in 2002 originally consisting of 21 employees, many of whom were project lead developers of the successful Medal of Honor: Allied Assault released the same year.

Development of Call of Duty begins

Apr 1, 2002

Led by Chief Creative Officer Vince Zampella, development of Call of Duty began in April 2002, with the team growing to 27 members by May 2003.

Michael Giacchino creates game soundtrack

2003

The music for the game was created by Michael Giacchino, whose score became an acclaimed part of the Call of Duty experience and was originally released as the Call Of Duty Official Soundtrack Sampler CD.

Team grows to 27 members by May 2003

May 1, 2003

By May 2003, the Infinity Ward development team had grown to 27 members as work on Call of Duty continued under Vince Zampella's leadership.

Awards and Reception

Call of Duty wins several Game of the Year awards

2003

Call of Duty won several "Game of the Year" awards for 2003 from several reviewers, cementing its reputation as a landmark first-person shooter.

GameSpot names Call of Duty best computer game of October

Oct 31, 2003

GameSpot named Call of Duty the best computer game of October 2003, recognizing its immediate impact on the first-person shooter genre.

Computer Gaming World names it Shooter of the Year

Dec 31, 2003

The editors of Computer Gaming World presented Call of Duty with their 2003 "Shooter of the Year" award, remarking, "Call of Duty won this category without a shot fired—there simply was no debate."

Computer Games Magazine ranks it sixth-best computer game of 2003

Dec 31, 2003

Computer Games Magazine named Call of Duty the sixth-best computer game of 2003. The editors wrote, "This game ups the ante in the WWII shooter arena, and makes everything that has come before it seem as outdated as France's army."

AIAS honors Call of Duty as Game of the Year

Feb 1, 2004

At the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awards, Call of Duty was honored "Game of the Year" of 2003; it also won "Computer Game of the Year" and "Computer First-Person Action Game of the Year", along with nominations for "Outstanding Innovation in Computer Gaming", "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition", and "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design".

Call of Duty nominated for Best Game at GDCA

Mar 1, 2004

Call of Duty was also nominated for "Best Game" at the 2004 Game Developers Choice Awards, adding industry recognition to its critical acclaim.

Releases

Official Soundtrack Sampler released in Europe

Oct 29, 2003

The music composed by Michael Giacchino was originally released in 2003 as the Call Of Duty Official Soundtrack Sampler CD, part of the game's pre-order from EB Games in Europe.

Call of Duty released for Microsoft Windows

Oct 29, 2003

Call of Duty is a 2003 first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the first installment in the franchise and was released on October 29, 2003, for Microsoft Windows.

United Offensive expansion released in September 2004

Sep 1, 2004

In September 2004, an expansion pack called Call of Duty: United Offensive, which was produced by Activision and developed by Gray Matter Studios and Pi Studios, was released.

Call of Duty: United Offensive expansion released

Sep 14, 2004

The expansion pack Call of Duty: United Offensive was developed by Gray Matter Studios and Pi Studios, produced by Activision, and released on September 14, 2004.

Soundtrack released in US Deluxe Edition

Jan 1, 2005

The music by Michael Giacchino was later released in the United States in 2005 as part of the Deluxe Edition, which included Call of Duty: United Offensive.

Call of Duty 2 released by Infinity Ward

Oct 25, 2005

Call of Duty 2 was also developed by Infinity Ward and was released in October 2005, continuing the franchise's success in the World War II setting.

Image source: Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 released by Infinity Ward

Call of Duty: Classic port released worldwide

Nov 10, 2009

An enhanced port of Call of Duty for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, titled Call of Duty: Classic and developed by Aspyr, was released worldwide in November 2009 alongside Modern Warfare 2 via redemption codes in special editions.

Image source: Call of Duty (video game)

Call of Duty: Classic port released worldwide

Classic bundled with Hardened and Prestige editions

Nov 10, 2009

Call of Duty: Classic was available via redemption codes included with the "Hardened" and "Prestige" editions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, bringing the original game to consoles.

Tokens sold ahead of Classic's public release

Nov 10, 2009 - Dec 2, 2009

Tokens to download Call of Duty: Classic ahead of its release were sold along with special "Hardened" and "Prestige" editions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty: Classic publicly released

Dec 2, 2009

After being made available early through redemption codes and tokens, Call of Duty: Classic was publicly released on December 2, 2009.

Sales and Legacy

NPD Group ranks Call of Duty among top sellers of 2003

Dec 31, 2003

The NPD Group named Call of Duty the eighth-best-selling computer game of 2003, marking strong commercial performance for the new franchise.

Call of Duty sells 95,000 copies in the United Kingdom

Dec 31, 2003

In the United Kingdom, Call of Duty sold 95,000 copies by the end of 2003, which made it the 88th-biggest seller across all platforms that year.

US sales reach $29.6 million by August 2006

Aug 1, 2006

In the United States alone, Call of Duty sold 790,000 copies and earned $29.6 million (~$44.2 million in 2024) by August 2006.

Edge declares it 13th-best-selling US computer game since 2000

Aug 1, 2006

Following its strong US sales figures, Edge declared Call of Duty the country's 13th-best-selling computer game released since January 2000.

Franchise reaches 4.5 million copies sold worldwide

Jan 1, 2013

The original Call of Duty ultimately sold 4.5 million copies worldwide by 2013, demonstrating the enduring legacy of the game that launched one of gaming's biggest franchises.

Key Facts

  1. The first Call of Duty game was released on October 29, 2003, focusing on World War II combat.
  2. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) revolutionized the series by shifting from WWII to modern combat and introduced the popular killstreak system.
  3. Call of Duty: Warzone, launched in March 2020, is the franchise's free-to-play battle royale mode that attracted over 100 million players.
  4. The franchise has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game series of all time.
  5. Activision acquired King Digital Entertainment in 2015 and later launched Call of Duty: Mobile in 2019, which earned over $1 billion within its first year.

Source

This History of Call of Duty timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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