Call of Duty Game Modes
Every mode you can play in Call of Duty right now – Modern Warfare 4 multiplayer, campaign and DMZ, Warzone's Battle Royale and Resurgence, and what's still live in Black Ops 7.
Call of Duty is really several games in one. Modern Warfare 4 (October 2026) has a campaign, multiplayer and the returning DMZ. Warzone is free for everyone, and Black Ops 7 is still online. Here's what each mode is, with the new Modern Warfare 4 modes marked as new.
The four pillars
CampaignA cinematic single-player story. Modern Warfare 4's is set on the Korean Peninsula.
MultiplayerShort competitive matches, mostly 6v6, with bigger 32v32 Ground War battles.
DMZModern Warfare 4's extraction mode: loot, survive and extract to keep your gear.
WarzoneThe free-to-play battle royale, shared by every new Call of Duty.
Every current mode
Modern Warfare 4 – Multiplayer15Modern Warfare 4 – Campaign and DMZ4Call of Duty: Warzone (free-to-play)3Black Ops 7 (still playable)3
Modern Warfare 4 – Multiplayer
2026 · 15 modesTeam Deathmatch
Respawn · Classic 6v6 – first team to the score limit wins.
Domination
Respawn · Capture and hold three flags for points.
Hardpoint
Respawn · Hold a single objective that moves around the map.
Kill Confirmed
Respawn · Collect enemy dog tags to score – and grab your team's to deny points.
Free-for-All
Respawn · Everyone for themselves. Parties of up to four can now queue together.
Read our guide →Frontline
Respawn · Spawn from your team's base; kills away from base are worth more.
Inflation
Respawn · New: kills earn cash, but the more you carry the bigger target you become. Most cash at the end wins.
Hijack
Respawn · New: both teams fight over one Data Spike and carry, throw or pass it to the enemy Comm Station to plant it.
Search and Destroy
Round-based · One life per round – plant or defuse the bomb at two sites. Kill XP was tripled to 300 in October.
Read our guide →Collateral
Round-based · New: Search and Destroy with a buy phase – start with a pistol and $800, first team to six rounds wins.
Gunfight
Round-based · 2v2, 3v3 or 10v10 rounds with a shared loadout that changes every two rounds. 3v3 and 10v10 use the modular Kill Block map.
Combat Outpost
Large-scale · New 32v32 Ground War mode: capture outposts for points and spawns, then reinforce them for team rewards.
Gun Game
Party / event · Get a kill with each weapon to move on to the next – first through the list wins.
Possession and Infected
Party / event · Halloween party modes added in late October 2026, before Season 1.
Drop Zone and Grind
Respawn · Returning modes arriving with Season 1 on November 6, 2026. Counter Attack follows mid-season.
Modern Warfare 4 – Campaign and DMZ
2026 · 4 modesCampaign
Story / PvE · 16 missions (about six hours) of war on the Korean Peninsula, with Captain Price and Mads Mikkelsen as the villain, the Archer.
Read our guide →DMZ
Extraction · PvPvE extraction in the Hajin Exclusion Zone – solo, duos or trios. Loot, fight AI and players, and get out alive to keep your gear.
Read our guide →Forward Operating Base
Extraction · DMZ's hub between runs: crafting, Gunsmith, vendor and the Boss Board. Player level runs from 1 to 70.
Read our guide →X01 (Season 1)
Extraction · A new black site reached through Hajin, arriving with Season 1 along with new DMZ Orders guided by Ghost.
Call of Duty: Warzone (free-to-play)
2020– · 3 modesBattle Royale
Battle royale · The big mode: drop in, loot, buy gear and be the last squad standing as the circle closes. Season 1 adds Hajin and brings back Verdansk.
Read our guide →Resurgence
Battle royale · Smaller, faster maps where you keep respawning while a teammate is alive. Season 1 pairs the new Zodiac with Rebirth Island.
Black Ops Royale
Battle royale · A Blackout-style mode added in March 2026 on Avalon: no loadouts or Buy Stations – you loot and upgrade weapons during the match.
Black Ops 7 (still playable)
2025–2026 · 3 modesMultiplayer
Respawn · Treyarch's fast-paced 6v6. The October 15, 2026 update was the final major weapon balance pass.
Read our guide →Zombies
Story / PvE · Round-based co-op against the undead. Treyarch says the October 2026 update was the last game update for Black Ops 7 Zombies.
Read our guide →Endgame
Story / PvE · Black Ops 7's objective-based PvE mode on the large Avalon map.
Section images: official Call of Duty trailers (Call of Duty / YouTube).
Which mode should you try?
New to shooters?Start with Team Deathmatch or Domination – simple goals, quick respawns.
Like tactics?Try Collateral: Search and Destroy with a money system and buy phase.
Want big battles?Combat Outpost puts 64 players on huge Ground War maps.
Prefer co-op?DMZ can be played solo or with friends against AI – and other players.
Playlists change often – Season 1 starts on November 6, 2026 and brings back Drop Zone and Grind. Check our latest patch notes for recent tweaks.
Our Call of Duty articles on this
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Modern Warfare 4 DMZ Deep Dive: Hajin Map, Threat Levels, Bosses and Level 70 Progression6 Oct -
Modern Warfare 4 Is Out Now: Review Scores, Launch Maps and Why It's Not on Game Pass23 Oct -
Modern Warfare 4 Patch Notes (October 25, 2026): S&D XP Tripled, Bomb Fix Rolled Back, Hijack Spawns Fixed27 Oct
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Black Ops 7 Patch Notes (October 15, 2026): TR51 Para and Warden 308 Nerfed in Final Big Balance Pass17 Oct
Sources
Reference page written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games change with every patch – the patch this page was last checked for is shown at the top.