Developer console

Console commands are commands entered into a video game's command console, which is usually accessed by pressing the tilde (~) or grave key (`) key (the key may be different for keyboards with different language set-up; it is usually the key to the left of 1). They may only be accessed on PC. The console can be used to access a given weapon easily, make the player invincible, and much more. The console can be used to give information useful to the developers of the game, hence the term "developer console".

Since Call of Duty uses the same base for most of its game engines, many commands remain the same throughout the series.

Singleplayer

 * 1) From the in-game options, the player should enable the console.
 * 2) The player should then press the tilde key (~) or grave key (`) to open the console.
 * 3) The player can now type seta thereisacow 1337 and press Enter.
 * 4) The player may now type spdevmap [mapname] (or devmap [mapname] in Nazi Zombies) and press Enter.
 * 5) This will start whichever map was typed in with console commands enabled. While playing, the player can press the tilde or grave key to bring up the console and type in commands. The player can press Enter to activate them, type them in again, and press Enter to deactivate them.

Note: The player has to devmap or spdevmap as opposed to selecting a map from the mission select screen in order for the commands to be available. In addition, the mission names are not always their in-game names. For example, Death From Above would start with spdevmap ac130. The names can be seen in their individual articles or in the game files.

Multiplayer

 * 1) The player should go to multiplayer and open the console
 * 2) The player can then enter devmap [mapname]. This will load a new server on with whichever map was entered with commands enabled.
 * 3) The player may now enter commands with a / in front of them. Not doing so will merely send what was typed as a message.

Note: Not all commands will work.

Call of Duty
The process for enabling console commands in Call of Duty is different to the others, as it runs on the ID Tech 3 Engine.


 * 1) Right click on the Call of Duty Single Player shortcut and select "Properties"
 * 2) In the "Target" field enter +set thereisacow 1337 +set developer 1 +set sv_cheats 1 +set monkeytoy 0 (i.e. "C:\Program Files\Call of Duty\CoDSP.exe +set thereisacow 1337 +set developer 1 +set sv_cheats 1 +set monkeytoy 0)
 * 3) Start up the game, press the tilde key (~) or grave key (`) to enter console.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops
To enable console cheats for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 or Call of Duty: Black Ops you must do the following:
 * 1) Open "Computer" on your computer
 * 2) Go to Computer > Local Disk (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam > Steam Apps > common > call of duty modern warfare 2/call of duty black ops > players</tt>
 * 3) Open "config"
 * 4) Set "seta monkeytoy" to "0" (can be found easily by searching monkey with Ctrl+F)
 * 5) Go to the bottom of the text and type in "spu"
 * 6) Press enter twice
 * 7) Type "bind (key) "(command)"
 * 8) Click back to "players" and right click on "config"
 * 9) Click "Properties" and turn off "Read Only"
 * 10) Save the "config file"
 * 11) Right click on "config", click "Properties", and enable "Read Only"

The player should note that the tilde or grave key will nomore work in singleplayer. The only way to use the command console now is to simply enter bind commands into the config.cfg file.

To use the cheats, the "bind" command must be used: bind X "Y" - on the place of X the player must put a key, which is not in use (they should check the other "bind" lines, and ensure that the key they want is not already in use). On the place of Y, between the two tildes, the player must put the cheat code. Before someone attempts to enable the cheats binded, they need to bind the "seta thereisacow 1337" command and enable it every time they start the game. The bind should look like this: bind X "seta thereisacow 1337", where X is the binded key.

Examples of binded console commands:

bind U "god"

bind V "notarget"

bind P "give ammo"

When ingame, the player simply has to press one of these keys, and the cheat code will be activated.

Codes and Effects
Commands can be enabled and disabled, depending on how they must be activated. The most basic will require the player to simply enter the command to activate, and enter it again to deactivate (ex. noclip and god). There are also commands that are activated and deactivated by entering the number 1 after it to activate, and 0 to deactivate (ex. sf_use_ignoreammo 1).

There are also commands that alter game elements. These cannot be activated, but changed. When entering in one of these commands, the console will say "Domain is any number between X and Y (X and Y being the minimum and maximum values)." As such, the player can enter any number between X and Y to change the domain, and as a result, the effect. The default is also given, so players can return to the normal value if they wish. An example is "timescale 1", which dictates the game's speed. The default is 1, but players can enter any value between 0.001 (X) and 1000 (Y).

Below is an incomplete list of console commands. Note that the underscore ( _ ) cannot be used in place of a space, and vice versa.

Usage in Multiplayer
For obvious reasons, console commands cannot be used in online multiplayer but some harmless ones can still be used to somewhat affect gameplay. Modifying the "config_mp" file can let the player toggle certain elements of the game like the weapon crosshair, the minimap, the fullbright and no fog option, or a nearby-flashbang indicator. On LAN servers however, commands can still be used.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The following images (save the last two and the pickup icons) use a field of vision of 120.

Trivia

 * In Call of Duty 4, if the player uses "cg_LaserForceOn 1" all of the lasers on the weapons will originate from the barrel. However, if the player has an M4A1 without attachments it will originate from the AN/PEQ-2A and curve towards the barrel.
 * The console is not available in singleplayer or Spec Ops mode in Modern Warfare.
 * However, programs known as "external console commands" can be used to activate it in Modern Warfare 3.
 * Only Call of Duty: World at War can have third person mode activated in the singleplayer campaign, unlike other Call of Duty installments which can only be activated in multiplayer.
 * In Treyarch games, player will be notified in top left corner if the console command is activated or deactivated.