It isn’t unheard of for a series to use multiple developers for its games. For example, there areseveral Mario titles that Nintendo didn’t develop. However, those games were spin-offs or re-releases of the original titles. It’s quite rare for a game series to utilize multiple developers for its main games.
Yet, that is what happens with theCall of Dutyseries. Treyarch, Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games, and Raven Software have all worked on several big Call of Duty games in the past. As such, each developer has helped shape what the series has become, but which one has contributed the best games? Here is a ranking of them all.
The studios have only been ranked based on the Call of Duty games for which they were a main developer. Some may have assisted in small ways on other entries, but they haven’t been judged on those.
The Titles Raven Software Developed
Raven Software has been significantly involved in the development of several Call of Duty games. However, the company has never made a COD game on its own. It has always worked with other developers. This goes against it a bit when comparing it to the others.
That said, the campaigns of Black Ops Cold War and Black Ops 6 were well-received, and those are the parts of the games that Raven Software was responsible for. Plus, the two battle royale Warzone games took the Call of Duty series in an interesting direction, and Raven Software was part of that. Therefore, the studio still deserves plenty of credit for its work on the series, even if others contributed more.
The Titles Sledgehammer Games Developed
Sledgehammer Games is a company that was solely formed to work on Call of Duty titles. Or at least, it seems to be that way, as the company hasn’t ever made anything else. So, it is fully committed to the COD series. Unfortunately, though, the studio hasn’t really made any classic Call of Duty games.
It is responsible for some solid ones, like Vanguard and WW2. However, there are no truly iconic Call of Duty titles in the company’s catalog. Additionally, it hasn’t significantly contributed to building up the series. Call of Duty was already a big deal when Sledgehammer Games came onto the scene, and none of the company’s games have boosted the growth of the series.
The Titles Treyarch Developed
The Call of Duty series wasn’t around too long before Treyarch got involved with it. The company joined the series for the COD2 spin-off, Big Red One, then made a big statement with the impressive Call of Duty 3. From there, Treyarch established itself as a very consistent developer of COD games. The studio hasn’t created many duds. Instead, it has consistently delivered the goods with titles like World at War and the Black Ops series.
What’s also impressive is how the company has been able to manage different time periods. Treyarch games fallall over the Call of Duty timeline. The company has created games set in World War 2 and others that take place many years in the future. Therefore, Treyarch helped prove that Call of Duty can be flexible when it comes to settings.
The Titles Infinity Ward Developed
Infinity Ward is the company that started it all with the original Call of Duty game. So, it gets a lot of credit for building the foundations of the series and crafting the formula that later entries would build on.
Then, with Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward created one ofthe most influential games on either PlayStationor Xbox, as it helped popularize PvP multiplayer on console. This would also shift COD into becoming more of a multiplayer-focused series, significantly increasing its fame in the process. The company’s later entries haven’t been incredibly impressive, but the good work the developer did in the early days makes up for it.
