Call of Duty Reveals Massive Development Budgets

Call of Duty's Astronomical Budgets: A New Benchmark in Game Development

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 previous industry giants and underscores the escalating financial investment in AAA game production.

The figures, revealed in a court filing, highlight three Call of Duty games: Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War, with a budget exceeding $700 million, sets a new record, outpacing even the famously expensive Star Citizen. Modern Warfare (2019) follows closely behind, with a development cost exceeding $640 million, while Black Ops 3 still commands a substantial $450 million budget – more than double the cost of The Last of Us Part 2.

These massive investments reflect the increasingly complex and lengthy development cycles of modern AAA games. While indie games often thrive on smaller, community-funded budgets, the AAA landscape demands significantly higher financial resources. The costs have steadily increased over the years, dwarfing even the budgets of previously "expensive" titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Cyberpunk 2077.

The Black Ops Cold War budget is particularly noteworthy, surpassing Star Citizen's $644 million. This is especially significant considering Star Citizen's extensive crowdfunding campaign spanning over 11 years, while Black Ops Cold War was solely financed by Activision.

This trend of escalating budgets is likely to continue. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII to today's AAA figures vividly illustrates the dramatic shift in development costs. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a stark reminder of the ever-increasing financial stakes in the modern video game industry. The potential budget for a future Black Ops 6 title, building upon the already massive investment in Black Ops Cold War, is undoubtedly a fascinating, and likely significantly higher, figure to contemplate.