Last year was a low point for the video game juggernaut, with poor reviews for its single-player campaign mode and multiplayer fans defecting to rival titles. So for latest instalment, Modern Warfare 4, publisher Activision is pulling out all the stops to bring fans back on board. But with increasing competition for fans' time and attention, and the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 just weeks away, can Call of Duty still cut through?
BBC Newsbeat spoke to some of those behind the game to find out, and why they see the upcoming release of GTA 6 as an "opportunity". Since 2009, Call of Duty has been at the top - or a close second-place - in the US video game sales charts every year. But 2025's edition, Black Ops 7, dropped to seventh place in America, according to data from analytics firm Circana.
In the UK, it was the eighth best-selling game, external. It’s thought the game’s inclusion on Xbox’s Game Pass subscription service, where it won’t appear on release this year, hit sales. But competition from long-running rival Battlefield 6 and new release Arc Raiders - a surprise success from Swedish studio Embark - put the behemoth on the back foot.
Fans also complained about the inclusion of novelty skins, which change the appearance of characters during multiplayer games, based on cartoons, external and other pop culture crossovers. Call of Duty's chief marketing officer, Tyler Bahl, admits it was a tough year for the series. "I think we missed expectations with our community last year," he says.
"So we took a step back, we listened to them." Players now have the ability to switch off controversial cosmetic changes, and Bahl says Modern Warfare 4 is a "return to form". It's a message they've been keen to get out. Newsbeat meets Bahl in a corner of Shoreditch, London, that's been turned into a convincing replica of a South Korean street complete with noodle bars and convenience stores.
It's inspired by Modern Warfare 4's storyline, which depicts a North Korean invasion - a decision that provoked a mixed reaction in the lead-up to release. A similar installation to promote the game has been built in downtown LA - but it's far from the only extravagant promotional attempt to generate buzz around the game. Back in July, Activision recruited Obsession star Inde Navaratte - who streamed Call of Duty on Twitch before becoming one of Hollywood's hottest young stars - to publicise the game at sports convention Fanatics Fest, external.
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