Summary
- Call of Duty games have shattered budget records, with development costs reaching a staggering $700 million.
- Black Ops Cold War, with its $700 million budget, surpasses even the ambitious Star Citizen project.
- The escalating budgets of AAA games highlight the ever-increasing costs within the video game industry.
Activision's recent disclosure of development budgets for three Call of Duty titles reveals astonishing figures ranging from $450 million to a jaw-dropping $700 million. These represent the highest development costs ever recorded for the franchise, with Black Ops Cold War leading the pack.
Creating a AAA video game is a monumental undertaking, demanding years of development and significant financial investment. While indie games often thrive on smaller budgets secured through platforms like Kickstarter, the landscape of AAA game development is vastly different. Blockbuster game budgets have steadily climbed year after year, dwarfing even those of classic titles once considered exceptionally expensive. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 are among the most expensive ever made, yet they pale in comparison to the newly revealed Call of Duty figures.
According to a December 23rd California court filing, Activision's head of Call of Duty creative, Patrick Kelly, revealed the development costs for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War exceeded $700 million in development costs, a project spanning multiple years and resulting in over 30 million copies sold. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with Infinity Ward investing over $640 million and achieving sales exceeding 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, with the lowest budget 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’s Budget Exceeds $700 Million
The budget for Black Ops Cold War represents an unprecedented milestone in video game development, surpassing even Star Citizen's substantial $644 million development cost. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's financing came solely from a single company, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year crowdfunding campaign.
Considering the industry trend of annually increasing budgets, it's fascinating to speculate on the potential costs of future titles like Black Ops 6. The contrast between current AAA game budgets and those of earlier eras is stark. For example, the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997, had a then-massive budget of $40 million. Today, that figure seems minuscule compared to the current financial realities of AAA game development. Activision's recently disclosed budgets serve as undeniable evidence of the video game industry's escalating costs.
