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 that Activision's Call of Duty franchise has reached unprecedented heights in terms of development costs. Three titles – Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War – boasted budgets ranging from $450 million to a staggering $700 million. This surpasses previous industry benchmarks, making Black Ops Cold War the most expensive video game ever produced.

The sheer scale of these budgets underscores the escalating financial demands of AAA game development. While indie games often rely on smaller budgets and crowdfunding, the creation of blockbuster titles is a significantly more resource-intensive undertaking, requiring years of development and substantial investment. While games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 are known for their high development costs, they pale in comparison to these newly revealed Call of Duty figures.

According to a December 23rd California court filing, Activision's Patrick Kelly, head of creative for the Call of Duty franchise, confirmed the budgets. Black Ops Cold War, exceeding $700 million, sold over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare (2019), with a development cost exceeding $640 million, achieved sales of 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, the least expensive of the three at $450 million, significantly outpaces the $220 million budget of The Last of Us Part 2.

Black Ops Cold War's $700 Million Budget: A New Industry High

The Black Ops Cold War budget sets a new record, surpassing even Star Citizen's substantial $644 million development cost. This is particularly notable considering that Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, while Star Citizen relied on over 11 years of crowdfunding.

The trend of increasing game development budgets is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII to today's AAA costs highlights the dramatic shift in the industry's financial landscape. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a stark reminder of the ever-growing expense of creating top-tier video games.