CoD Dev Budgets Stagger

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

Call of Duty games have shattered industry records, with development budgets reaching a staggering $700 million. This figure, revealed for Black Ops Cold War, surpasses even the massive budget of Star Citizen. The escalating costs of AAA game development are clearly illustrated by these figures.

Activision's disclosure of budgets for three Call of Duty titles—ranging from $450 million to $700 million—highlights the unprecedented financial investment in the franchise. Black Ops Cold War leads the pack with its monumental budget.

The creation of video games is a complex and resource-intensive undertaking. Development often spans several years, demanding significant financial and human resources. While indie games often rely on smaller, crowd-funded budgets, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster game budgets have steadily increased, dwarfing even those of previously "expensive" titles. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 were considered costly, but pale in comparison to the recently revealed Call of Duty figures.

As reported by Game File, Activision's head of Call of Duty creative, Patrick Kelly, disclosed in a December 23rd California court filing the budgets for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million development cost, represents a new high-water mark. Despite this massive investment, the game sold over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare (2019), with a development cost exceeding $640 million, achieved even greater sales, surpassing 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, with the lowest budget of the three at $450 million, still significantly outpaces the $220 million development cost of The Last of Us Part 2.

Black Ops Cold War's $700 Million Budget: A New Industry Standard

The budget for Black Ops Cold War sets a new record in video game development, exceeding even Star Citizen's substantial $644 million budget. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came from a single company, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year, crowd-funded development.

The potential budgets for future installments, such as Black Ops 6, are intriguing to contemplate. Given the current trend of annually increasing budgets, the costs are likely to continue climbing. Comparing this to the $40 million budget of Final Fantasy VII in 1997—a game considered incredibly expensive at the time—clearly illustrates the dramatic escalation in AAA game development costs. Activision's recent disclosures undeniably demonstrate the ever-increasing financial demands of the modern video game industry.