Call of Duty's Astronomical Budgets Shatter Industry Records
Recent disclosures reveal that Activision's Call of Duty franchise has reached unprecedented heights in terms of development costs, with budgets for three titles soaring to staggering figures. Black Ops Cold War, for example, topped $700 million, surpassing even the massive budget of Star Citizen. Other titles, like Modern Warfare (2019) and Black Ops 3, also saw substantial investments, ranging from $450 million to over $640 million.
The sheer scale of these budgets underscores the escalating costs within the AAA video game industry. While indie games often thrive on smaller, community-funded budgets, the creation of blockbuster titles demands immense resources and years of development. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and The Last of Us Part 2 were previously considered exceptionally expensive, but even their budgets pale in comparison to these 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, confirmed the development costs. Black Ops Cold War, which sold over 30 million copies, exceeded $700 million. Modern Warfare (2019) followed closely, with over $640 million invested and 41 million copies sold. Even Black Ops 3, the least expensive of the three at $450 million, significantly surpasses the $220 million budget of The Last of Us Part 2.
Black Ops Cold War: A Budgetary Colossus
The over $700 million budget for Black Ops Cold War sets a new record in the video game industry, outpacing even Star Citizen's $644 million. This is particularly noteworthy considering Star Citizen's reliance on 11 years of crowdfunding, while Black Ops Cold War was financed solely by Activision.
The trend of ever-increasing budgets is undeniable. Comparing the $40 million budget of the groundbreaking 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII to today's AAA game costs reveals a dramatic shift. Activision's recent disclosures serve as a stark reminder of the exponentially rising costs within the modern video game landscape. It's intriguing to speculate on the potential budgets for future installments, like Black Ops 6, given this trajectory.
