Top 10 Call of Duty Games Ranked by Sales

Call of Duty is the most popular first-person shooter on the planet. Since the early 2000's when the first Call of Duty was released, the series has sold millions. 

The mega-franchise has generated around $27 billion in sales, making it one of the most profitable video game series of all time. Here are the top 10 Call of Duty games ranked by sales that have helped the franchise to reach this impressive milestone.

1.Call of Duty Black Ops 2

The second game in the Black Ops mini-series, Black ops 2, took everything we loved about the first Black Ops and made it better. The game was the sequel to the first Black Ops and hugely popular amongst the Call of Duty fanbase. 

It was also the first Call of Duty game to be released on the Wii U, driving sales through the roof. Overall the game has sold a staggering 31 million copies, making it the most successful Call of Duty game of all time.

2. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 

One of the latest Call of Duty games to be released, Modern Warfare, revisited the Modern Warfare series giving it a fresh new look and feel. Although the game has had widespread praise for its campaign and gameplay, it has divided the Call of Duty fanbase. 

Nevertheless, Warzone's introduction has helped bolster the game's sales, with around 30 million copies sold. Due to the sheer numbers of games sold in a shorter time frame than the other games, it deserves to be number two on this list. 

3.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3)

Modern Warfare 3 built upon the success of its predecessors in the original Modern Warfare series to give us one of the best first-person shooters of all time. MW3 was released in 2011 and quickly became a fan favourite due to its butter-smooth gameplay, great campaign and popular survival mode. 

The game had it all and is one of the series’ greatest. As a result, MW3 has sold around 30 million copies across the game's lifecycle.

4.Call of Duty Black Ops

Black Ops turned the Call of Duty series on its head, giving it a much darker feel with the game set in the Cold War era. The game revisited and improved the much-loved Zombie mode and gave players a whole new generation of Call of Duty history to explore. Black Ops kickstarted one of the most popular subcategories of FPS's in history. Conclusively, the game has sold around 30 million copies but comes below MW3 due to it being the worse game of the two. 

5.Call of Duty Ghosts 

Call of Duty Ghosts was first released in 2013 as a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch title. The game was the tenth instalment in the franchise. 

It introduced new features to the series, such as the ability to peek under cover, player activation hazards and customisation for your character. The game was divisive amongst the Call of Duty fanbase but still sold around 28.8 million copies.

6.Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (MW2)

The second game in the Modern Warfare series, MW2, was released in 2009 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game was well-received by fans and critics with the introduction of new maps, guns and challenges.

 Recently, the game was remastered on PS4 and Xbox One, helping to bolster sales. It is estimated that the game has sold 22.7 million copies across its life cycle.

7.Call of Duty Black Ops 3

Black Ops 3 was the third instalment in the Black Ops series and, despite being a good game in its own right, is considered one of the worst in the series. 

The game introduced futuristic elements to the franchise, such as the ability to wall jump. The game to this day has sold 22.46 million copies globally,

8.Call of Duty WW2

Call of Duty WW2 was released in 2018 and took the franchise back to its roots with the game based during the period of World War 2. The game was top-rated, giving the series a fresh new look and a break from the futuristic elements of previous games in the series.

The game has a wide selection of guns and challenges with the addition of loot boxes. Overall the game sold 19.6 million copies. 

9.Call of Duty World at War 

World at War was released in 2008 and is one of the most beloved games in the series. World at War was based on the Second World War, with its campaign split between an American and Soviet campaign. The game was the first in the series to introduce zombies and thus was very popular. As a result, the game has sold 15.7 million copies worldwide.

10.Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was the first game released in the Modern Warfare series and the first game to move away from the WW2 setting. The game introduced a plethora of new maps, guns, and locations, and launched Call of Duty into a new era of FPS gaming.

Despite not being the best in the Modern Warfare series, it is still a great game selling around 15 million copies.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Call of Duty is an incredibly successful video game series. With the growing popularity of Call of Duty: Warzone, the franchise will only get stronger. 

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