Want to play all the Black Ops games in order but don't know where to start? Well, we don't blame you. The Call of Duty franchise is vast and inevitably uneven, and the same applies to the Black Ops series, which has survived all sorts of transformations and soft reboots. If you're more of a Modern Warfare fan or skipped some entries in the past and want to catch up before jumping into Black Ops 7, here's how to play every game in the Black Ops timeline.
A huge issue with the Black Ops subfranchise is its nomenclature, which started to not make a lot of sense after the third game. Black Ops 4 actually happened before Black Ops 3 in the canon, and no one noticed anyway because it was a strictly multiplayer installment (and not a very good one to boot). After Modern Warfare was rebooted, so was Black Ops. Cold War (2020) wasn't a numbered entry, and you'll soon learn why, but in 2024, Activision and Xbox decided to bring the numbers (Mason!) back because that makes these games a lot easier to sell, apparently.
In any case, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Since you probably want a refresher ahead of the new game, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, we've really tried to keep things as simple as possible here in a complete guide on how to play all the games in both chronological and release order, but watch out for more than a few plot (and timeline) twists.
HOW TO PLAY THE BLACK OPS GAMES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
If you want quick directions without any of the proper discussion and rundown, here's the order to follow if you want to journey through the Black Ops universe in order. No Zombies modes or multiplayer seasons taken into account here, of course.
Below this list, we have also gone into detail on each game mentioned and have explained where they fit into the timeline. So if you are after more depth just keep on reading folks! But be warned: mild spoilers for the entire Call of Duty: Black Ops series ahead.
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
Call of Duty: World at War (1942 – 1945)
The first Black Ops installment... doesn't have Black Ops anywhere in the title. At the time of its inception, Activision and developer Treyarch hadn’t figured out Black Ops would be a long-running series, but by the time the writers fully cracked Black Ops 1's plot, Red Army Sergeant Viktor Reznov and Private Dimitri Petrenko were part of the package. We first meet them in September 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad.
World at War featured two campaigns set during WWII: American and Soviet ones. While the American side doesn't affect Black Ops in any way, Reznov is a huge deal in Treyarch's following game, with Petrenko also showing up in a minor capacity. In order to fully understand a good deal of Reznov's psychology and dark past, playing through World at War's (notable) campaign is recommended. You can skip it if you're in a rush, though, but it's a great game that you won't regret playing - as we point out in our Call of Duty: World at War review.
Call of Duty: Black Ops (1961 – 1968)
Though seemingly unrelated at first, the first Black Ops quickly introduces World at War's Reznov as a major character who has a direct effect on CIA operative Alex Mason after he's captured by Cuban forces during the Bay of Pigs invasion. Reznov's involvement includes a flashback set in October 1945, which is a direct continuation of World at War's events.
Black Ops 1's story unfolds over seven years, with the CIA, MACV-SOG, and other groups trying to neutralize the menace of the Nova 6 chemical weapon as the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union escalate. President John F. Kennedy also shows up, and we even get to visit Vietnam as part of the adventure to take down Soviet Army Major General Nikita Dragovich, who's completely gone off the rails. We're trying to keep the twists and turns unspoiled here, but the psychological warfare angle and darker tone gave it a personality that's celebrated to this day.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1981 – 1984)
Black Ops Cold War's narrative kicks off in January 1981 (aside from some flashbacks) and extends well into the early 1980s through the post-launch seasons of the multiplayer, which we're going to ignore as they're not super relevant. CIA operatives Alex Mason and Frank Woods, both returning from BO1, are joined by the enigmatic Russell Adler and other team members from all over the globe to hunt down the Soviet spy Perseus.
After spending some time in the future, the Black Ops subfranchise was 'reset' with this back-to-the-roots installment, which bridged the gap between Black Ops 1 and the 1980s flashbacks that made up much of Black Ops 2's narrative. With this game, the creatives in charge of Call of Duty also tried to connect Black Ops to the (completely rebooted) Modern Warfare timeline by having Imran Zakhaev cameo in a mission. Considering the new MW timeline starts in 2019 and goes into the 2020s, it'd directly clash with Black Ops 2's futuristic 2025 setting, so let's just assume this guy has a multiversal presence. For more on the main campaign, you can read our Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War review.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (1986 – 1989 & 2025)
Black Ops 2 was always a weird one. Its narrative was almost evenly split between a late 1980s story arc, which in itself was a direct follow-up to Black Ops 1 and its defining 2025 setting full of advanced tech, drones, and all sorts of vehicles we don't have today. That also made it one of the franchise's highest points, if you ask Call of Duty veterans.
By 1986, Alex Mason has retired. Yet he's brought back into the fight when his former handler, Jason Hudson, asks for his help rescuing Frank Woods in Angola. This leads to the group encountering Nicaraguan arms dealer Raul Menendez, who has a big vendetta against the Americans and our protagonists specifically. What goes down in the past is what kickstarts Menendez's rise to power via the populist movement Cordis Die in the 2010s. By 2025, the organization has sparked a Second Cold War between NATO and a Chinese-led coalition, but his plans don't stop there, which is why he's hunted down by David Mason (Alex's son) and his allies.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (1991)
Black Ops 6 directly references the 1989 events of Black Ops 2's campaign since Adler and Woods are back, but Hudson and Mason aren't (because they were killed). And of course, Woods is now using a wheelchair after being crippled by Menendez right after watching his colleagues die. Putting that aside, it's more of a direct follow-up to Cold War for obvious reasons.
In this surprising and playful story campaign, CIA operatives Troy Marshall, William "Case" Calderon, and Frank Woods go rogue to investigate the huge paramilitary force known as Pantheon against the silly orders of CIA Deputy Director Daniel Livingstone. Adler is more of a wild card in this game (if that's possible), and even though there are more returning faces, it mostly features a new cast of operatives who set up shop in an abandoned KGB house code-named 'the Rook' in Bulgaria. This is another great game to play through as well, and if you fancy picking it up, you can check out our Black Ops 6 review for more details.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2035)
Black Ops 7 marks the series' return to a futuristic setting after taking a break following Black Ops 4's disappointing reception and performance. The story is set in 2035, ten years after the events of Black Ops 2, and once again follows David "Section" Mason and the "Specter One" team of agents as they investigate the (apparent) return of Raul Menendez, who supposedly died a decade ago.
Though we're yet to play through Black Ops 7's campaign, Menendez's return (alive or not) should be considered a bad omen, since he's by far the most successful villain in Call of Duty's entire history. We also have The Guild, a criminal organization (introduced in BO6) which eventually became a "helpful" (press X to doubt) technology corporation led by CEO Emma Kagan. The trailers are doubling down on 'fear' as one key element of the story, and we're expecting another rollercoaster ride from Raven Software if BO6 was any indication of where the studio wants to take things when it comes to mission structure.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2045)
With Black Ops 4, Activision tried something different following major development hiccups: A multiplayer-only entry. Despite the initial hype, it was mostly considered a failure, which prompted big changes for Call of Duty as a whole, not just Black Ops. If you do some digging, you'll also learn it was originally meant to be a sequel to Black Ops 3. In its final form, only the Specialist HQ remained: a narrative-oriented set of missions which also serve as tutorials for each Specialist (this was also when Call of Duty was chasing Overwatch money through hero-like class design).
Not a lot can be said about this one on the narrative front, obviously, but researcher Savannah Mason-Meyer, Alex Mason's granddaughter, is part of the little story it contains. Her sister, Jessica Mason-Green, also shows up alongside Frank Woods, Viktor Reznov, and Raul Menendez... sort of. Despite our high rating in our Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review, we won't be surprised if this one's completely ignored – in order to actually tell a story with some of its elements – if the series moves further into the future (but without running into BO3) at some point after BO7.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2065 – 2070)
Many loved Black Ops 3's campaign and bolder approach to movement and weapons, while others hated it (we personally loved it, if you want to check out our Black Ops 3 review). One thing's for sure: The writers and the developers committed big time to its 2065 setting that confidently steps into cyberpunk territory as it presents the prospect of a Third Cold War between the western Winslow Accord and the eastern Common Defense Pact.
Its future is dark and gritty, and the story is built around the concept of a DNI (direct neural interface) and Corvus, a gestalt intelligence that is for all intents and purposes exactly what you suspect: an AI virus that can infect anyone who interfaces with it. After a fair amount of twists, Black Ops 3's finale is one that doesn't leave anyone indifferent. While the game sort of follows up Black Ops 2's plot by referencing terrible events caused by Raul Menendez's in 2025, it's very much its own thing... unless BO7 sets up part of what happens decades later.
HOW TO PLAY THE BLACK OPS GAMES IN RELEASE ORDER
Of course, you could always just play the Black Ops games – including World at War if you're a timeline completionist – in release order, but all the time jumps may make you dizzy if this is your first rodeo with Call of Duty's most enduring subfranchise.
- Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025)
For more, check out our lists of the best Call of Duty games to play today and our recommendations of the best FPS games to play if you need a COD break.
