Black Ops Cold War Development Costs Reach $700 Million, Activision Reveals
A recent court filing has revealed the development costs of three Call of Duty titles between 2015 and 2020. The creative lead and franchise director for Activision's FPS franchise phenomenon, Patrick Kelly, estimated that these three releases cost the company between $450-700 million each, with 2020's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War having a budget of more than $700 million during its lifecycle.
These development figures, which were discovered by Game File, are being described as among the highest officially confirmed by a gaming company. The breakdown came from a lawsuit concerning the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which partly held Activision responsible due to the shooter's frequent playing of the game. While Activision has previously stated to CBS News that "millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts," Kelly's declaration for the lawsuit utilizes the budgets as context for Call of Duty's global success.
Activision Pours $1.8 Billion Into Three Call of Duty Releases
Eye-Watering Figures For The Top-Selling FPS Franchise
Patrick Kelly, who was the official spokesperson on behalf of Activision Blizzard for the lawsuit, declared the budgets and sales of the titles in December 2024, emphasizing the hundreds of employees who worked on the military shooters during its development. The budgets take into account the lifecycle of the games, such as DLC, map packs, and other updates, but further costs such as marketing are currently unclear. The earliest title discussed was 2015's Black Ops 3, estimated to have cost Activision more than $450 million, and ultimately sold around 43 million copies after its three-year development period.
These Call of Duty development figures are among the only officially confirmed and publically available numbers in gaming, as many are estimated by experts or leaked.
In addition to the Treyarch-led BO3, Modern Warfare (2019) was developed "over several years," ultimately setting back over $640 million to pay for Infinity Ward's reboot. The larger budget didn't bring in additional sales though, as 41 million games were sold. However, the largest cost revealed by Activision was 2020's Black Ops Cold War, with Treyarch and Raven Software's development costing the publisher a whopping $700 million and selling 30 million copies. Despite the escalation in developments across this five-year period for Activision, the total sales of the games decreased.
Our Take: Massive Budgets Prove Why Call of Duty Is Activision’s Cash Cow
Black Ops 6's Addition To Game Pass Has Been Great For Activision
The figures revealed by Patrick Kelly in response to the Uvalde lawsuit demonstrate the colossal sums of money spent for Activision's yearly releases. Although the drop in sales can be seen as a disappointment, the acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft and the addition ofBlack Ops 6 to Xbox Game Pass has ensured that massive player counts will continue in the future of Call of Duty.
The Call of Duty games consistently end up among the top sellers during their year of release, reflecting the huge costs that trump titles like The Last of Us Part 2 and Grand Theft Auto 5($220 million and $265 million respectively for total costs including marketing). Activision's most valuable asset and its continuing financial success affirms the cost of blockbuster games, despite themany controversies surrounding the Call of Duty games. Although the games received a mixed reception from some fans of the yearly franchise, the prolific costs surrounding the games suggest that Activision will continue to reap the financial rewards, even after 22 years of Call of Duty titles.
Sources: CBS News, Game File
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
OpenCritic Reviews- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Franchise
- Call of Duty
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
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