Call of Duty: Ghosts takes place in an alternate timeline where the United States and The Federation, a coalition of southern american countries, are at war. The conflict has been raging for ten years, with entire cities being destroyed. The player follows a US 'Ghost' team, a special forces unit specializing in clandestine and covert operations, as they track down a former Ghost who has been captured and brainwashed by the Federation.
The game features a large multiplayer portion, including standard CoD modes such as free for all and Team deathmatch. Ground War also makes an appearance, with gameplay rotating between Domination and Team Deathmatch. Another mode, Blitz, is similar to capture the flag, but instead of flags, players must reach portals located at the enemy spawn point to score.