CoD Unveils Colossal Development Expenditure

Call of Duty's Astronomical Budgets: A Look at the Rising Costs of AAA Game Development

Recent disclosures reveal staggering development budgets 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, with Black Ops Cold War leading the pack.

These figures represent the highest ever recorded for the Call of Duty franchise, significantly surpassing previously considered "expensive" titles. While indie games often thrive on smaller budgets secured through crowdfunding, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbusters like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 previously held the title of expensive, but even their budgets pale in comparison to these new Call of Duty figures.

As reported by Game File, Activision's creative head, Patrick Kelly, revealed these costs in a December 23rd court filing. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million budget, took years to develop and sold over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, costing over $640 million and selling 41 million units. Even Black Ops 3, the "lowest" at $450 million, more than doubles the $220 million budget of The Last of Us Part 2.

Black Ops Cold War: A $700 Million+ Colossus

The budget for Black Ops Cold War is unprecedented, surpassing even the massive $644 million development cost of Star Citizen. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came from a single company, unlike Star Citizen's 11-year crowdfunding campaign.

The escalating trend in AAA game budgets is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 title Final Fantasy VII to today's figures starkly illustrates this point. Activision's recent disclosures serve as clear evidence of the ever-increasing costs within the video game industry, leaving us to ponder the potential budgets of future installments like Black Ops 6.