Are all Call of Duty stories connected?

No, the various Call of Duty titles feature multiple unconnected storylines and continuities across five distinct fictional universes. However, some games have direct narrative links.

Tracing the Modern Warfare Timelines

The original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare trilogy of 2007-2011 told a continuous narrative that concluded with MW3. 2019‘s series reboot Modern Warfare introduced new timeline unconnected to the originals, with shared character and thematic links.

For example, Captain Price remains a principal character across both timelines. But the new path moves in a fresh direction from the original story. This creative choice allowed developers to revisit fan favorite elements while still expanding the fiction into new territory.

The chart below diagrams the divergence between old and new Modern Warfare timelines:

So in summary, the two Modern Warfare series directly connect within each separate continuity, but not between one another.

Untangling the Black Ops Web

The Black Ops series arguably has the most convoluted narrative connections in the Call of Duty franchise. The games frequently introduce alternate timelines and hypothetical WWII scenarios that splinter the timeline.

For example, Black Ops II (set in 2025) released in 2012, earlier than Black Ops III (2065) in 2015 and sequel Black Ops 4 (2043) in 2018. Further muddling the order, Black Ops Cold War directly connected to the original Black Ops in 1981.

The following chart maps the branching timelines:

So Treyarch certainly took full advantage of the multifaceted nature of covert operations to create a complex fictional history!

Multiverse of Possibilities

Expanding the scope further, Call of Duty games overall exist across five distinct fictional universes:

• Core Series (World War II)
• Modern Warfare Universe
• Black Ops Universe
• Advanced Warfare Universe
• Standalone Universes (Ghosts, Infinite Warfare, etc.)

So while the individual series have connected narratives, the vast majority of Call of Duty titles occupy their own independent universe isolated from one another in narrative terms.

However, these separated story spaces allow each sub-franchise to explore dramatically different settings and creative directions outside the continuity constraints of a strictly unified canon.

Suggested Playing Order

While playing Call of Duty game stories in release order makes practical sense, fans obsessed with piecing together the meta-narrative may consider the following chronological order:

1. Call of Duty 3 (1944)
2. Call of Duty: World at War (1945)
3. Call of Duty (2003)
4. Call of Duty 2 (1943-1945)
5. Call of Duty: WWII (1945)
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (1981)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (1968)
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2043)
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2025)
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2065)
11. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2011)
12. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
13. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
14. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2017)
15. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (Space Combat)
16. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2054)

Following this sequence spans an epic saga from World War II through the Cold War, near future, and finally concluding in outer space conflict.

Closing Thoughts

While the question "are all Call of Duty stories connected" has a definitive answer of no, the creative possibilities unlocked by largely separate continuities remain enticing. The fragmented anthology approach allows each installment the flexibility to explore new genres and creative directions within a shared branding.

And for devoted franchise fans, piecing together connections between the eclectic mix of games offers an intriguing meta-narrative puzzle to complement the core action gameplay loops. So in many ways, the decentralized nature of Call of Duty fiction stands as one of its most alluring qualities to devoted followers.