From an ethical and legal standpoint, the distribution of Call of Duty IPAs is a clear violation of copyright law. Activision, as the IP holder, has the right to distribute—or not distribute—their software as they see fit. While arguments for "abandonware" suggest that companies should allow the preservation of media they no longer sell, the law generally supports the copyright holder. By downloading a pirated IPA, users are technically engaging in software piracy. This puts the community in a grey area: they are fans supporting the legacy of the game, yet they are doing so by circumventing the rights of the developer.
To install your downloaded IPA, you need a tool to bypass Apple’s restrictions. Here are the top three methods currently working for iOS 17 and 18.