Infinity Ward

What Infinity Ward does

Infinity Ward is an American video game development studio founded in 2002 and headquartered in Woodland Hills, California. It is the original creator and lead developer of the Call of Duty franchise and currently operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Publishing, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2023 and now sits within Microsoft Gaming. The studio employs 501–1,000 people across four locations — Woodland Hills (HQ), Warsaw, Mexico City, and the newly opened Austin, Texas office — and develops premium first-person shooters published under the Activision label.

Infinity Ward's core product is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, scheduled for full release on October 23, 2026, with campaign early access from October 16. The title ships natively on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 — the first major Call of Duty release on a Nintendo platform since 2013's Ghosts — and is structured around three modes: a narrative Korean War campaign set across New York, Paris, and Mumbai; a rebuilt 12-map multiplayer suite featuring the modular Kill Block map system (over 500 configurations), the Ballistic Authority weapon simulation, the Fluid Parkour movement overhaul, and the Microsoft Triton 3D audio system; and DMZ, a full 1.0 extraction-shooter mode set in the Hajin exclusion zone with persistent Forward Operating Base progression, stealth, dynamic AI, and a 3D Printer crafting system.

The studio monetizes through one-time game licenses (Standard Edition at $69.99 and Vault Edition at $99.99) across console and PC storefronts — PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Steam, Battle.net, and Nintendo eShop — alongside physical retail via Amazon and Best Buy, and recurring in-game microtransactions via Call of Duty Points. Game Pass integration is limited, with the title not arriving on Xbox Game Pass until October 2027. Co-development partners include Digital Legends (Switch 2 native build) and Beenox (PC optimization), supporting an internal studio that retains creative and engineering ownership of the flagship franchise.

Name

Infinity Ward

Legal name

Infinity Ward

Website

https://infinityward.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Infinity Ward is a US video game developer and the original creator of the Call of Duty franchise. Founded in 2002 as a subsidiary of Activision Publishing (now Microsoft), it develops premium first-person shooters distributed across console and PC platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

First-Person Shooter Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Video game development
• First-person shooter games
• Game engine development
• Console game development
• Multiplayer online games

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodland Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Game Sales: One-time purchase of game editions (Standard at $69.99 and Vault Edition at $99.99) across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
2. Call of Duty Points/Microtransactions: Warzone and Modern Warfare 4 integrate content and progression, with Warzone shutting down on last-gen consoles and consolidating microtransaction ecosystem on current-gen platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Infinity Ward develops premium, narrative-driven first-person shooter video games, primarily for the Call of Duty franchise. The studio designs and builds campaign, multiplayer, and extraction shooter game modes, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and ships titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms under Activision publishing.

Product overview

Infinity Ward develops video games, primarily the Call of Duty franchise. Their flagship product is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, a first-person shooter featuring three core game modes: Campaign (Korean War storyline with missions spanning New York, Paris, and Mumbai), Multiplayer (12 maps with dynamic Kill Block system and Ballistic Authority weapon mechanics), and DMZ extraction shooter (narrative-driven PvPvE extraction gameplay with Forward Operating Base progression). The game is published by Activision and released across multiple gaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
• DMZ Extraction Shooter Mode

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Under Microsoft's 10-year agreement with Nintendo following the Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft is bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms. Modern Warfare 4 is the first major release under this deal, with Digital Legends handling Switch 2 development.
• Digital LegendscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Digital Legends, a Spanish developer, partnered with Infinity Ward for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Modern Warfare 4. The studio is building the Switch 2 version natively for the console.
• BeenoxcoreTechnology or Integration · 28 May 2026Canadian developer Beenox partnered with Infinity Ward for PC optimization of Modern Warfare 4, addressing longstanding performance issues with Call of Duty's PC ports.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bungie: Creator of Halo and Destiny; acquired by Sony in 2022. Comparable as a premium live-service FPS studio with comparable headcount and franchise economics under a major platform owner.
• Sledgehammer Games: Activision sister studio that co-develops Call of Duty and led Advanced Warfare / WWII / Vanguard. Shares the rotating COD flagship cycle with Infinity Ward and Treyarch.
• Treyarch: Activision sister studio that develops the Black Ops sub-series of Call of Duty. Most directly comparable peer — same franchise, same publisher, alternating flagship development cycles.
• 343 Industries: Microsoft in-house Halo developer and therefore a Microsoft Gaming peer. Compares on premium FPS console franchise stewardship, first-party Microsoft ownership, and live-service design.
• EA DICE: Developer of the Battlefield franchise — the premium military-FPS franchise that directly competes with Call of Duty for the same console/PC audience and seasonal engagement cycles.
• Respawn Entertainment: Founded in 2010 by ex-Infinity Ward leaders Vince Zampella and Jason West; produces Titanfall, Apex Legends, and Star Wars Jedi. Closely comparable AAA FPS studio with shared creative lineage.
• Raven Software: Activision-owned studio supporting Call of Duty: Warzone live service. Directly comparable on franchise, employer, and live-service FPS operations supporting Infinity Ward's flagship releases.
• id Software: DOOM and Quake developer; acquired by Microsoft via ZeniMax. Compares as a premium FPS specialist under Microsoft Gaming with a similar console/PC delivery model and franchise-driven release cadence.

Broad incumbents

• Ubisoft: Large publisher/operator with overlapping AAA FPS/shooter franchises (Rainbow Six, Far Cry, The Division) and comparable headcount and global studio footprint, though distributed across many non-FPS franchises.

Emerging players

• Embark Studios: Independent AAA FPS studio founded by ex-Battlefield leadership. Comparable as an emerging premium-FPS competitor targeting the same extraction/shooter-adjacent gameplay space that DMZ 1.0 is entering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/InfinityWard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/infinityward
• Facebookfacebook.com/InfinityWardStudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/infinityward/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@infinityward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/infinity-ward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Infinity Ward