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 shattered previous budget records, with development costs reaching a staggering $700 million for some titles. This surpasses even the famously expensive Star Citizen. The figures highlight the escalating financial investment required for top-tier video game production.

Activision's court filings revealed the budgets for three Call of Duty games: Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million price tag, represents the highest development cost ever recorded for the franchise, and indeed, for any video game. This massive undertaking, spanning several years, resulted in over 30 million copies sold. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, costing over $640 million and achieving sales exceeding 41 million units. Even Black Ops 3, with a comparatively "modest" $450 million budget, dwarfs the $220 million spent on The Last of Us Part 2.

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

The budget for Black Ops Cold War surpasses even the extensive $644 million development cost of Star Citizen. This is particularly notable given that Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, while Star Citizen relied on over 11 years of crowdfunding.

The trend of escalating AAA game budgets is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 title Final Fantasy VII to today's figures underscores the dramatic increase in development costs. Activision's recent revelations serve as a clear indication of the ever-growing financial pressures within the video game industry, leaving one to speculate on the potential budgets for future installments like Black Ops 6.