CoD Unveils Lucrative Development Expenditures

Record-Breaking Call of Duty Budgets: A Look at the Rising Costs of AAA Game Development

Call of Duty's latest releases have shattered industry records, with development budgets reaching a staggering $700 million. This surpasses even the famously expensive Star Citizen, highlighting the escalating financial investment required for top-tier video game production.

The revelation comes from Activision, who disclosed the budgets for three Call of Duty titles: Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. These figures, ranging from $450 million to $700 million, represent unprecedented spending for the franchise. Black Ops Cold War, topping the list at over $700 million, stands as the most expensive video game ever developed.

The sheer scale of AAA game development is undeniable. Years of work, immense resources, and substantial financial commitments are all par for the course. While indie games often thrive on smaller budgets secured through crowdfunding, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster game costs have steadily climbed, dwarfing even the previously "expensive" classics. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2, while costly, pale in comparison to these newly revealed Call of Duty figures.

According to a December 23rd California court filing, Activision's head of creative for Call of Duty, Patrick Kelly, confirmed the budgets. Black Ops Cold War, despite its single-company funding, outpaced Star Citizen's $644 million, accumulated over 11 years of crowdfunding. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with a $640+ million budget, and Black Ops 3, at $450 million, still significantly exceeded the $220 million spent on The Last of Us Part 2. These titles also saw impressive sales figures, with Black Ops Cold War exceeding 30 million copies and Modern Warfare surpassing 41 million.

The implications are clear: game development costs are skyrocketing. Consider Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997, a technological marvel at the time with a $40 million budget. Today, that figure seems minuscule compared to current AAA standards. Activision's disclosures serve as stark evidence of this escalating trend, leaving one to wonder what future installments, such as Black Ops 6, will cost.