Call of Duty Reveals Massive Development Budgets

Call of Duty's Astronomical Budgets Shatter Industry Records

Recent disclosures reveal staggering development costs for several Call of Duty titles, reaching unprecedented heights within the video game industry. Budgets for three specific games ranged from $450 million to a jaw-dropping $700 million, significantly surpassing previous franchise records. Black Ops Cold War, with its $700 million price tag, stands out as the most expensive.

The sheer scale of AAA game development is undeniable. These projects often span years, demanding immense resources and financial investment. While independent games frequently rely on smaller budgets secured through crowdfunding, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster game costs have steadily escalated, dwarfing even the previously considered "expensive" titles. While games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 hold a place among the most costly games ever created, they pale in comparison to the recently revealed Call of Duty figures.

According to Game File, Activision's creative head for Call of Duty, Patrick Kelly, revealed these budgets in a December 23rd California court filing. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million price tag, sold over 30 million copies after years of development. Modern Warfare (2019), costing over $640 million, achieved even greater sales, exceeding 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, the "least" expensive of the three at $450 million, still more than doubles the $220 million development cost of The Last of Us Part 2.

Black Ops Cold War: A Billion-Dollar Budget Behemoth

The Black Ops Cold War budget represents an unprecedented milestone, surpassing even Star Citizen's considerable $644 million development cost. This is particularly noteworthy, considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year, crowdfunded development.

The escalating costs are clearly illustrated by comparing these figures to older titles. The groundbreaking 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII, a technological marvel of its time, cost $40 million—a sum now dwarfed by current AAA budgets. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a stark reminder of the ever-increasing expenses within the modern video game industry. The potential budgets for future installments like Black Ops 6 remain a subject of considerable speculation, given the established upward trend.