Which Call of Duty Games Offer Online Multiplayer Campaign Co-op?

The world of Call of Duty is vast, spanning numerous titles, modes, and experiences. While the series is renowned for its competitive multiplayer, many fans also seek the thrill of tackling campaigns with friends. However, the availability of online multiplayer campaign co-op isn’t a universal feature across all Call of Duty games. So, which titles actually let you team up with friends to conquer the story missions?

The answer is: relatively few. The main Call of Duty games that feature an online co-op campaign are: Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. These are the two primary games that allow players to experience the campaign with friends online.

It’s crucial to note that while many Call of Duty games offer local split-screen co-op for campaign modes, and some have separate co-op modes, online campaign co-op specifically is much rarer. It’s also important to distinguish this from modes like Zombies or the various Special Ops modes, which are co-operative but not part of the primary story campaign.

Campaign Co-op: A Look at the Games That Offer It

Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War, released in 2008, was a groundbreaking title in the franchise for several reasons. One of its most notable features was the inclusion of a 4-player co-op campaign mode. This allowed players to tackle the World War II narrative together, adding a new dimension of strategy and teamwork to the traditional single-player experience. Players could fight through intense battles, coordinating their actions to overcome the many challenges presented by the game. While primarily known for its visceral gameplay and the introduction of Nazi Zombies, the co-op campaign made a lasting impact on the series.

Call of Duty: Black Ops III

Call of Duty: Black Ops III, released in 2015, built upon the foundation laid by World at War and significantly expanded the co-op campaign experience. Unlike previous Black Ops games, this title was designed with 4-player co-op as a central element. The level designs were deliberately crafted to support multiple players, offering more open environments and diverse gameplay approaches. In addition to playing together, players could also customize their characters’ appearance and clothing. This made the co-op campaign feel like a truly shared and personalized experience.

The Missed Opportunities: Games Without Online Co-op Campaign

While the above titles stand out for their online co-op campaign, a significant number of Call of Duty games, despite having co-op elements, lack this specific feature. Some of these include:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II: While both these games offered some form of co-op, neither had a fully implemented online campaign co-op mode.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Series (including Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, and Modern Warfare 3): These titles are almost exclusively focused on single-player campaign experiences, without any online co-op option, though many support local split-screen for multiplayer.
• Call of Duty: Ghosts, Advanced Warfare, Infinite Warfare: None of these had an online campaign co-op component either.
• Modern Warfare (2019) and Modern Warfare 2 (2022): Similarly, these rebooted titles did not include an online campaign co-op mode.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard and Modern Warfare III (2023): These more recent additions to the series also skip this feature.

The absence of online campaign co-op in these titles highlights how it is not a staple feature in the franchise and emphasizes the uniqueness of World at War and Black Ops III.

Why Is Online Co-op Campaign Not More Common?

There are likely several reasons why online co-op campaign is not a regular offering in Call of Duty. Designing a campaign that works flawlessly for a single player and also scales effectively to multiple players online requires significant effort and resources. It changes the pacing and balance of the game, and this might not always align with the developers’ vision for the single-player narrative. Additionally, a core focus for the franchise has been on its high-quality single-player campaigns and, of course, its competitive online multiplayer. These aspects may receive more development attention and resources than a co-op campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is there co-op campaign in Call of Duty?

Yes, but it’s not universally available across all titles. Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III are the primary games featuring online co-op campaign.

2. Can you play Call of Duty Modern Warfare campaign with friends?

No, the Modern Warfare series, including Modern Warfare (2019), Modern Warfare 2 (2022), and Modern Warfare 3 (2023), do not offer a co-op mode for their campaigns.

3. Is Modern Warfare 3 a co-op campaign?

No, Modern Warfare 3 (2023) does not feature a campaign co-op mode. It has a separate Zombies mode.

4. Is Call of Duty Black Ops 3 co-op campaign?

Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops III was designed with 4-player co-op for its campaign.

5. Can you play 3 player split-screen on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2?

No, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) supports only two-player split-screen.

6. Is Battlefield 5 a co-op campaign?

While Battlefield 5 does not have a traditional campaign co-op, it features “Combined Arms,” a 4-player co-op mode against AI.

7. Does Modern Warfare remastered have co-op?

Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered supports two-player split-screen online play in multiplayer modes, not in the campaign.

8. Can I play Call of Duty with friends online?

Yes, for most Call of Duty games, you can play online multiplayer with friends. However, as discussed above, online campaign co-op is not a universal feature.

9. Is Call of Duty Black Ops 2 a co-op campaign?

No, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 does not feature a campaign co-op mode.

10. How many players can play co-op campaign Call of Duty: World at War?

Call of Duty: World at War supports 4-player co-op for its campaign.

11. Does infinite warfare have co-op campaign?

No, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does not have a co-op campaign mode.

12. Can you play 2 player campaign on Call of Duty ww2?

Yes, Call of Duty: WWII has split-screen for local play.

13. Which battlefield has a co-op campaign?

Battlefield 2042 features a combined single-player/co-op mode alongside multiplayer. Earlier Battlefield games did not offer co-op campaign experiences.

14. Does Call of Duty Modern Warfare remastered have online multiplayer?

Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered has a full online multiplayer system.

15. Is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 4 player split-screen?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) supports 4-player split-screen for local multiplayer.

Conclusion

The thrill of tackling a campaign with friends in Call of Duty is a sought-after experience. While the feature isn’t universally present, the titles that do offer it, specifically Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty: Black Ops III, provide a unique and memorable experience. Despite the lack of online co-op campaign in many titles, there’s still plenty of co-operative action to be had through Zombies and other modes. Understanding the specifics of each game ensures players know exactly what to expect before diving in. As the franchise evolves, the possibilities for future iterations and how co-op campaigns might be implemented remains a topic of interest.