What video game genre is the Call of Duty series?

The Call of Duty series is a first-person shooter series. That means players generally view the action through the eyes of the controlled soldier and aim weapons directly from that perspective.

The franchise began in 2003 with a World War II game developed by Infinity Ward. Its early entries focused on infantry combat in historical campaigns, but the series later expanded into modern military conflicts, Cold War espionage, futuristic warfare, zombies, and battle royale modes.

A common mix-up is confusing the series’ genre with its setting or subseries. Modern Warfare and Black Ops are story lines within Call of Duty, not separate genres. Individual spin-offs can also emphasize different modes, but the franchise’s core classification remains first-person shooter.

The series is known for combining cinematic campaigns with competitive multiplayer. Its annual releases also rotate among major studios, especially Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games, while other developers assist with ports or specialized modes.