Record-Breaking Call of Duty Budgets: A Look at the Rising Costs of AAA Game Development
Recent disclosures reveal staggering development budgets for several Call of Duty titles, reaching unprecedented heights within the video game industry. Activision's filings show budgets ranging from $450 million to a jaw-dropping $700 million for some installments. This surpasses previous franchise records, with Black Ops Cold War leading the pack.
The sheer scale of AAA game development is undeniable. These projects require years of dedicated work and immense financial investment. While indie games often thrive on smaller, community-funded budgets, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster game costs have steadily climbed, dwarfing even the "expensive" titles of past generations. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 were considered costly, yet they pale in comparison to the newly revealed Call of Duty figures.
According to Game File, Activision's creative head, Patrick Kelly, detailed the budgets for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War in a December 23rd court filing. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million price tag, stands out. Developed over several years, it sold over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare (2019) follows closely, with a development cost exceeding $640 million and sales surpassing 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, the least expensive of the three at $450 million, more than doubles the $220 million budget of The Last of Us Part 2.
Black Ops Cold War's Budget Surpasses Industry Standards
The Black Ops Cold War budget is unprecedented, exceeding even the massive $644 million spent on Star Citizen. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year, crowd-funded development.
The escalating costs are a clear trend. Comparing the $40 million budget of 1997's Final Fantasy VII (then considered enormous) to current AAA game budgets highlights the dramatic shift. Activision's recent disclosures serve as stark evidence of the ever-increasing financial demands within the modern video game industry. The potential budgets for future installments, such as Black Ops 6, are likely to be even higher.
