CoD's Vast Development Costs Unveiled

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 budgets. Three titles—Black Ops 3, Modern Warfare (2019), and Black Ops Cold War—exceeded expectations, with 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 considerable resources required to create modern blockbuster video games. While indie games often thrive on smaller budgets secured through crowdfunding, the AAA landscape operates on a dramatically different scale. The costs of these high-profile titles have steadily increased over the years, dwarfing even the budgets of previously considered "expensive" games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2.

According to a December 23rd California court filing, Activision's Patrick Kelly (head of Call of Duty creative) revealed the financial details. Black Ops Cold War, with its over $700 million budget, stands out as the most expensive video game ever made, surpassing even the crowdfunded Star Citizen's $644 million. This is particularly noteworthy considering Black Ops Cold War's funding came solely from Activision, unlike Star Citizen's eleven-year crowdfunding campaign.

The trajectory of these budgets suggests even higher costs for future installments. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII to today's AAA game budgets illustrates the dramatic shift in the industry's financial landscape. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a clear indicator of this trend, showcasing the ever-increasing expenses associated with creating top-tier video games. The implications of these escalating costs on the future of game development remain a topic of ongoing discussion.