Call of Duty Reveals Massive Development Budgets

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

Recent disclosures reveal that Activision's Call of Duty franchise has set new industry benchmarks, with development budgets for three titles reaching staggering heights. Black Ops Cold War, in particular, boasts a budget exceeding $700 million, surpassing even the famously expensive Star Citizen. This highlights the dramatic escalation of costs within the AAA video game sector.

The sheer scale of modern game development is undeniable. Years of work and immense financial investment are required. While indie games often thrive on smaller budgets secured through platforms like Kickstarter, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. Blockbuster titles consistently see their budgets inflate year-on-year, eclipsing even those considered extravagant in previous eras. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2, while expensive, pale in comparison to the newly revealed Call of Duty figures.

Court filings from December 23rd, as reported by Game File, unveiled the budgets for Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War. Black Ops Cold War's budget, exceeding $700 million, represents a new high-water mark. This achievement is particularly noteworthy given that it was funded solely by Activision, unlike Star Citizen's decade-long crowdfunding campaign which amassed $644 million. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with a development cost of over $640 million, while Black Ops 3, at $450 million, still significantly outpaces the $220 million budget of The Last of Us Part 2.

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

The colossal budget of Black Ops Cold War surpasses all previous video game development costs, even outstripping Star Citizen's extensive funding. This underscores the substantial resources required to create today's leading AAA titles.

Considering the upward trend in game development budgets, it's fascinating to speculate on the potential costs of future installments, such as Black Ops 6. The contrast between current AAA budgets and those of earlier eras is stark. For instance, the groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997, had a then-massive budget of $40 million, a figure dwarfed by today's industry standards. Activision's recent disclosures serve as undeniable proof of the ever-increasing financial demands of the modern video game industry.