How to play the Call of Duty: Black Ops games in chronological order (2024)

Call of Duty isn't just a franchise itself but also has multiple series running inside of it. Despite a game coming out every year, there are three or more main developers working on the series at any one time, so you get a slightly different flavor of Call of Duty depending on who is making it. The two most notable would have to be the Modern Warfare and Black Ops series. While the former stays mostly grounded in modern-day conflicts and technology, Black Ops is far more interesting in how it flips between the past and the near future. This allows for not only a more epic narrative but also wider variety in missions and gameplay thanks to the different levels of tech available. Modern Warfare may have been the breakout hit for the series, but Black Ops is the fan favorite.

Unlike Modern Warfare, the Black Ops games aren't as straightforward in their storytelling. The former has a consistent cast of characters, villains, and only three games (both in the original and rebooted series) that all follow a logical sequence. Because some Black Ops games take place in the past, others in the future, and some mix the two, it can be hard to know what order to play the series for the best experience. You can choose to play them in the order they were released to avoid some jarring jumps between older and newer games, but you may get a better understanding of things if you play them in chronological order. Both are tricky since not all the Black Ops games are numbered, and one doesn't even have Black Ops in the name. I've run through each game to create a corkboard with threads and pictures to finally crack the Black Ops timeline so you can decide what order you want to play the series in.

1 Call of Duty: World at War

Back to WW2

That's right, even though Black Ops isn't in the name, World at War is the origin of the entire series, thanks to two characters. Like so many Call of Duty games, World at War is set during World War II, between 1942 and 1945. You take control of a soldier named Miller fighting in the Pacific Theater, as well as a Russian soldier named Petrenko under a man named Reznov. It's these two characters who will be the connection to Black Ops. What you need to know here is that Reznov helped recapture Berlin from the Nazis and had bigger ambitions that would play out in the Cold War.

2 Call of Duty: Black Ops

It begins

That brings us to the first Black Ops, where the storyline really begins. Alex Mason is being interrogated by the CIA, so the entire game is played out through flashbacks between the years of 1961 and 1968. Mason was a brainwashed Soviet agent who was later given new orders by our old friend Reznov to kill a series of people, though at the time, Mason believed Reznov was responsible. We won't spoil the twists here, but it is the game that sets the tone of mystery and espionage that the series would be known for going forward.

3 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Messing with history

The most direct sequel to Black Ops isn't Black Ops 2, but the newest release called Cold War. History fans could already guess that this game would take place between 1981 and 1984 and sees Mason's return, though not as the main character. This title doesn't do much to push the Black Ops narrative forward and instead focuses on a new threat in the form of a Russian agent called Perseus. It is more of a side story that doesn't impact the larger story much, but it's still a fun game that plays with historical events and figures in interesting ways.

4 Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Past and future

Black Ops 2 splits the timeline between 1986 with Alex Mason once again, but also features his son in 2025. The senior Mason is hunting down a man named Menendez after his partner Frank Woods is captured and interrogated by him. In the future timeline, Alex's son is dealing with Menendez's new terrorist cell to finally finish what his father started. The blending of past and future creates a fun dynamic between gameplay styles, and sets up many shocking reveals and revelations for the characters.​​​​​​​

5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Move along

Black Ops 4 technically slots in here since it takes place in 2045, but as fans will already know, this was the only Call of Duty game to date to be released without a campaign. This decision did not go over well with fans and is largely forgotten by the entire Call of Duty community. There are some tiny bits of lore you can find here if you dig into some of the background details and text, but it is far from a true sequel, or even a narrative. You can skip this one no matter which order you are playing in, especially now that the multiplayer is all but dead.​​​​​​​

6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Loose ends

The furthest in the timeline, Black Ops 3 goes almost full sci-fi in the year 2065. The series still tries to stay true to its roots of cold warfare, only this time with a new secret conflict between the Common Defense Pact and the Winslow Accord. You play as an unnamed soldier with only offhand mentions of Menendez to tie it back to the previous games. The new story is very complicated and flawed, mainly in its delivery rather than its themes. If you just want cool missions with futuristic weapons and tech to play with, it's a great time.​​​​​​​

FAQ

Q: Should you play Black Ops in chronological order?

At present, there are six games in the Black Ops series -- with one more to be released in 2024. If you want to play it in the order of events rather than the order the games were released, you can and should absolutely do it. The guide above explains how, game by game.

Q: How to play the Black Ops games in release date order

Release order is your other option for experiencing the Black Ops series. While the story may feel a little uneven playing this way, you won't have to experience playing more modern games before older ones where features and mechanics weren't introduced yet. If you want to go this route, here's the simple order to follow:

1. Call of Duty: World at War - 2008
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops - 2010
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - 2012
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 - 2015
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - 2018
6. Call of Duty: Cold War - 2020
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 - 2024