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 reached unprecedented heights in terms of development costs. Three titles – Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War – boasted budgets ranging from $450 million to a staggering $700 million. This surpasses previous industry benchmarks, establishing new records for the franchise and highlighting the escalating financial investment in AAA game development.

The sheer scale of these budgets underscores the immense resources required to create modern blockbuster games. While indie game development often thrives on smaller budgets secured through crowdfunding, the AAA landscape operates on a vastly different scale. The costs of these high-profile titles have steadily increased over the years, dwarfing even previously "expensive" games. While titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 represent significant investments, they are dwarfed by the newly revealed Call of Duty figures.

According to a December 23rd California court filing, Activision's Patrick Kelly (head of creative for the Call of Duty franchise) revealed the budget for Black Ops Cold War exceeded $700 million. This surpasses even the massive $644 million development cost of Star Citizen, a remarkable feat considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came from a single company, unlike Star Citizen's long-running crowdfunding campaign. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with a budget exceeding $640 million, and Black Ops 3 still managed a substantial $450 million budget – more than double the $220 million spent on The Last of Us Part 2.

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

The sheer scale of Black Ops Cold War's budget is a significant marker in the video game industry. This unprecedented figure raises questions about the potential costs of future installments, such as Black Ops 6, given the consistently rising trend in AAA game budgets. Comparing this to the $40 million budget of Final Fantasy VII in 1997, a game considered groundbreaking at the time, vividly illustrates the dramatic shift in development costs. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a clear indicator of the ever-increasing financial pressures within the modern video game industry.