Summary
- Call of Duty games have set new records with budgets reaching up to $700 million.
- Black Ops Cold War's $700 million budget surpasses even Star Citizen.
- Rising AAA game budgets highlight the escalating costs in the video game industry.
Activision has revealed the budgets for three Call of Duty games, showcasing some of the highest figures ever seen in the franchise, ranging from $450 to $700 million. These substantial investments underscore the monumental effort and resources poured into these blockbuster titles, with Black Ops Cold War leading the pack.
Developing video games is a complex and time-consuming endeavor, often spanning several years and requiring significant financial investment. While indie games may be crafted on modest budgets, often funded through platforms like Kickstarter, the AAA segment of the industry operates on an entirely different scale. The budgets for these top-tier games have been steadily increasing, dwarfing what were once considered lavish expenditures for classic titles. Among the priciest games ever produced are Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2, yet none of them approach the staggering budgets disclosed for the latest Call of Duty titles.
According to a report by Game File, Patrick Kelly, Activision's head of creative for the Call of Duty franchise, disclosed in a California court filing on December 23 the development costs for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. The latter's budget soared past $700 million, reflecting years of development and resulting in sales of over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare, developed by Infinity Ward, saw an investment of more than $640 million and sold 41 million copies. Black Ops 3, with the lowest budget of the trio at $450 million, still significantly outpaces the $220 million spent on The Last of Us Part 2.
Black Ops Cold War Exceeded $700 Million in Development Costs
The budget for Black Ops Cold War stands as the highest ever recorded in the video game industry, eclipsing even Star Citizen's $644 million, which was amassed through crowdfunding over an 11-year period. This is particularly notable as Black Ops Cold War was funded entirely by a single company.
It's intriguing to consider how much the budgets for future titles like Black Ops 6 might have escalated since Black Ops Cold War's release in 2020. The trend of increasing budgets year over year is clear. For instance, the 1997 release of Final Fantasy 7, which was groundbreaking in terms of graphics and technology, had a budget of $40 million—a figure that seemed enormous at the time but pales in comparison to today's AAA game budgets. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a stark reminder of the ever-rising costs within the video game industry.
