Which 2007 Call of Duty game launched the Modern Warfare sub-series?

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, released in 2007, launched the Modern Warfare sub-series. Developed by Infinity Ward, it moved Call of Duty away from its established World War II setting and into a fictional contemporary conflict.

The game follows U.S. Marine Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish and British S.A.S. Captain John Price as they confront a Russian ultranationalist and a Middle Eastern warlord. Its campaign mixed covert operations, large-scale assaults, and politically charged fictional events, giving the series a more modern thriller tone.

Modern Warfare also transformed multiplayer. Its experience system, unlockable weapons, customizable classes, perks, and killstreak rewards became influential features across later Call of Duty games. The title’s success led to Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 and Modern Warfare 3 in 2011, forming the original trilogy.

It is easy to confuse this game with the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which is a reboot rather than the original starting point. The 2007 game was later remastered by Raven Software.