Summary
Call of Dutywill forever remain known as a multiplayer behemoth, but that doesn’t mean players should sleep on the campaigns of the popular first-person shooter. The plot might have suffered from being a token part of the game untiltheModern Warfareseries, which added story developments and intense explanations of the multiplayer battles.Black Opsfurther emphasized campaigns, shifting the focus away from battlefields to behind-the-scenes espionage.
Regardless of the content, players and viewers should also take note of their respective lengths. Luckily, noCall of Dutycampaign outstays its welcome; some are even brutally short. The numbers for this list were produced byHowLongToBeat, a website that excels at compiling submitted data, separating the times into categories, and averaging the statistical results.
Updated on June 30, 2025, by Ben Painter:Call of Duty remains one of the most popular multiplayer games year after year. The latest installment in the franchise, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, has received widespread acclaim for its various game modes. However, the Call of Duty campaigns are often overlooked, with many players skipping them in favor of online matches. This is unfortunate, as the campaigns offer an engaging first-person shooter experience without the pressure of competing against real players. The campaign lengths vary, but some can be completed in a single playthrough. This update also includes the three spin-off games that were released early in the franchise’s history.
Final Fronts, the spin-off ofWorld at War, has a remarkably short runtime of just 4.5 hours for a complete playthrough. This version was released for the PlayStation 2 and did not include multiplayer orthe COD Zombies game modes. Instead, it featured a three-part campaign that took players through the final stages of World War II, showcasing both American and British troops.
Despite having only a single-player offline mode,Final Frontsboasts the shortest campaign length in the series, even when compared to other entries that offer more gameplay options. Additionally, the game suffered from poor artificial intelligence, leading to unfavorable reviews from critics. Players were generally advised to opt for the full version of the game if they owned a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 at the time.
Modern Warfare 3garnered a lot of criticism before its full launch, specifically due to its single-player campaign that was available to play a few days early. Sledgehammer delivered theshortestCall of Dutygame, one that just about creeps over the 5-hour mark. Now, to be clear, concise campaigns can be great, a realityCall of Dutyhas actualized multiple times through the decades.Modern Warfare 3’s negative reputation is primarily due to the content’s quality rather than its quantity.
For one, the story is filled with poorly developed characters who rely on nostalgia to trigger an emotional response in players. The plot also lacks consistency and will likely seem confusing if someone has not kept up withWarzone. The actual gameplay is serviceable sinceCall of Dutyhas largely perfected its gunplay, butModern Warfare 3offers very little in the way of innovation in its presentation of the franchise’s staple missions and ideas.
Surprisingly, despite a global narrative, thisCall of Dutygame is the shortest at just over five hours. The campaign is memorable and takes the player all over the world in rich and detailed environments, so the short time is not reflective of the massive hard drive space that it takes up.
There are plenty of secrets and spooky side quests lurking inBlack Ops Cold War. This game took a lot of risks with the timeline that paid off, despite what the length of the content might indicate. Theseries still needs customizationthat makes players feel like the star of the story like they did inBlack Ops Cold War.
Attempting to put together a game with a cast of characters that could be used going forward into the next installments,Call Of Duty: Vanguardwas met with disastrous reception. Specifically, gamers did not relate to this new cast.
Mercifully,Vanguardis on the shorter side of the franchise’s campaigns. The installment was a bust in about every way, leading tonew release modelsto avoid making the mistakes that this game made.
Modern Warfare’s campaign was highly acclaimed upon release, which just goes to show that length doesn’t always correlate to quality. The main story ofModern Warfaretakes just six hours to complete, with some people even rushing through it in five.
The reboot of the popular campaign got the multiplayer right as well. To focus on these, the game elected to drop the zombies mode. Perhaps this was the right call asother games in the series took the time to do it right.
Ghostsis often regarded as the weakestCall of Dutyentry, and its short and subpar campaign certainly didn’t do it any favors. When it comes to online play, gamers debatewhich games have the most powerful perks. When ranking campaign experiences, there is little debate to be had; this is one of the worst across the board.
Most people will completeGhostswithin just six hours, and some people have reported completing it in four.
AlthoughModern Warfare 3served as the brilliant culmination of the originalModern Warfareseries, many gamers at the time felt the campaign was too short.
The campaign could be completed in four to six hours, making this one of the shortestModern Warfaretitles. Still, it stirred feelings in the fans and reminded them of what the classic franchise can still be and gave players the feeling of being on one ofthe most elite forces in all of gaming.
Gamers can expect to be done withModern Warfare 2in about six hours, and about double that for those hoping to knock out all of the achievements.
Regardless, these six odd hours were packed with some incredible moments, and it remains one ofthe greatest campaigns of the series. It sets the bar high for the entireModern Warfareseries. The campaign was so well-received that the most recent title copied the name in the hopes that the reception would match the enthusiasm.
Call of Duty: Finest Houris significant for being the first game in the franchise released on consoles, as the originalCall of Dutywas exclusively available on Windows. As a spin-off of the first entry,Finest Hourfeatures an entirely different story, allowing players to experience six chapters from the perspectives of US, British, and Soviet forces.
The game takes approximately seven hours to complete. With its varied viewpoints, it stays engaging throughout and provides a satisfying experience. Released in the early 2000s,Finest Hourwas well-received, performing strongly both critically and commercially, and it set a precedent for many future console entries in the Call of Duty series.
This is the head honcho that isModern Warfare. This is not only one of the greatest campaigns of the series but arguably one of the greatest campaigns in first-person shooter history.
It’s filled with brilliant moments and character work and it measures in at a rather respectable seven hours.ManyCall of Dutygames are forgottenbut those who played for the first time were immediately aware this was going to be something special.
