Call of Duty Reveals Massive Development Budgets

Record-Breaking Call of Duty Budgets: A Look at the Rising Costs of AAA Game Development

Recent disclosures reveal staggering development budgets for several Call of Duty titles, pushing the boundaries of video game spending. Budgets for three specific games ranged from $450 million to a jaw-dropping $700 million, setting new records for the franchise. Black Ops Cold War, with its $700 million price tag, stands out as the most expensive.

The sheer scale of these budgets underscores the increasingly expensive nature of AAA game development. While indie games often thrive on smaller, crowd-funded budgets, the creation of blockbuster titles demands immense resources and time. This trend of escalating costs surpasses even previously expensive titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2, none of which approach the figures seen in these recent Call of Duty releases.

Activision's filing in a California court on December 23rd, as reported by Game File, detailed the budgets: Black Ops 3 ($450 million), Modern Warfare (2019) (over $640 million), and Black Ops Cold War (over $700 million). The latter, despite being financed solely by Activision, surpasses even Star Citizen's $644 million development cost, accumulated over 11 years through crowdfunding. The success of these titles is undeniable, with Black Ops Cold War selling over 30 million copies and Modern Warfare exceeding 41 million. Even Black Ops 3, with the lowest budget of the three, significantly outpaces the $220 million development cost of The Last of Us Part 2.

The continued escalation of development costs is evident when comparing these figures to historical precedents. The groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997, had a then-massive budget of $40 million. This highlights the dramatic growth in the cost of AAA game production. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a powerful illustration of this escalating trend within the video game industry. The question remains: how much higher will these budgets climb in future installments, such as Black Ops 6?