Which Call of Duty game was the first to feature a battle royale mode?

The first Call of Duty game to feature a battle royale mode was Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. Released in 2018, it introduced Blackout, a large-scale mode in which players searched for equipment, fought opponents, and tried to be the last survivors.

Blackout was developed as a major replacement for a traditional single-player campaign, which Black Ops 4 notably omitted. Up to 100 players could enter a match, choosing solo play or team formats such as duos and quads. The mode included land, sea, and air vehicles and brought together characters and locations from across the Black Ops series.

Many players confuse Black Ops 4 with Call of Duty: Warzone because Warzone later became the franchise’s best-known battle royale experience. Warzone launched in 2020, while Call of Duty: Mobile also added battle royale around the same period. Neither came first: Blackout introduced the format to the main Call of Duty series in Black Ops 4.

Blackout helped establish the series’ battle royale direction before Warzone expanded it into a free-to-play standalone experience.