CoD Unveils Colossal Dev Budgets

Call of Duty's Astronomical Budgets Shatter Industry Records

Recent disclosures reveal that Activision's Call of Duty franchise has reached unprecedented heights in development costs, with budgets for some titles soaring to a staggering $700 million. This surpasses even the massive budget of Star Citizen, previously considered a benchmark for expensive game development. Black Ops Cold War leads the pack, exceeding $700 million, highlighting the escalating financial investment in AAA game production.

The sheer scale of modern AAA game development is undeniable. These projects often span years, demanding substantial resources and financial commitment. While indie games frequently leverage crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter to manage smaller budgets, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster titles consistently see escalating costs, dwarfing even the budgets of previously "expensive" classics. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2, while costly, pale in comparison to the recently revealed Call of Duty figures.

According to a December 23rd California court filing (via Game File), Activision's Patrick Kelly (head of Call of Duty creative) revealed the development budgets for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War's budget alone exceeded $700 million, resulting in over 30 million copies sold. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with Infinity Ward investing over $640 million in development and achieving sales of 41 million units. Even Black Ops 3, the least expensive of the three at $450 million, significantly outpaces the $220 million development cost of The Last of Us Part 2.

Black Ops Cold War: A $700 Million+ Undertaking

Black Ops Cold War's budget sets a new record in video game development, eclipsing even Star Citizen's substantial $644 million investment. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came from a single company, unlike Star Citizen's extensive 11-year crowdfunding campaign.

The escalating trend in game development costs is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of Final Fantasy VII (1997), a technological marvel for its time, to today's AAA budgets paints a clear picture of the industry's exponential growth. Activision's recent disclosures serve as stark evidence of this dramatic increase in the cost of creating high-end video games.