Record-Breaking Call of Duty Budgets Exceed $700 Million
Recent disclosures reveal that Activision's Call of Duty franchise has reached unprecedented heights, with development budgets for three titles soaring to astonishing levels. Black Ops Cold War, in particular, shattered previous records, exceeding $700 million – a figure surpassing even the famously expensive Star Citizen. Other titles, such as Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops 3, also boasted massive budgets, reaching over $640 million and $450 million respectively.
The sheer scale of these budgets underscores the escalating costs within the AAA game development landscape. While indie games often thrive on comparatively modest budgets, the creation of blockbuster titles demands immense resources and years of dedicated work. While games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 were previously considered exceptionally expensive, they pale in comparison to these newly revealed Call of Duty figures.
Activision's head of creative for Call of Duty, Patrick Kelly, unveiled these figures in a California court filing on December 23rd. The data highlights the significant investment required for these projects: Black Ops Cold War, despite its massive budget, sold over 30 million copies. Modern Warfare (2019), with its over $640 million budget, achieved even greater sales, surpassing 41 million copies. Even Black Ops 3, with the lowest budget of the three at $450 million, still dwarfs the $220 million development cost of The Last of Us Part 2.
Black Ops Cold War's $700 Million Budget: A New Benchmark
The budget for Black Ops Cold War represents an unparalleled milestone in video game development, eclipsing even Star Citizen's substantial $644 million. This is particularly noteworthy considering that Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year crowdfunding campaign.
The trend of ever-increasing game budgets is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 title Final Fantasy VII to today's AAA game costs illustrates the dramatic shift. Activision's recent disclosures serve as stark evidence of this escalating financial reality within the video game industry, leaving one to speculate on the potential costs of future installments like Black Ops 6.
