Modern Warfare 3 smashes $1 billion barrier

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has smashed through the $1 billion barrier just 16 days after release, Activision has revealed.

The feat makes it the fastest entertainment property ever to reach the milestone, beating the blockbuster movie Avatar’s 17 day record.

“Engagement of our Call of Duty audience continues to rise around the world,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick.

"Call of Duty as an entertainment franchise has made an indelible mark on popular culture and its broad and continued success is further validation that audiences increasingly value interactive experiences over passive experiences.”

The latest release in the franchise had previously broken the record for most pre-orders ever, and generated $775 million within the first five days of sale.