Is Call of Duty the Most Expensive Video Game Ever Made?
As video games become more and more realistic and immersive, they also become increasingly expensive to produce. One of the best examples is the Call of Duty (CoD) franchise, which has released a new title for fans every year.
Even if you aren’t a fan of the fast-paced, multiplayer first-person shooter gameplay, you can still enjoy your Call of Duty gaming through the franchise’s free-to-play battle royale mode, Warzone. The first iteration of Warzone was released alongside 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. A year after its release, it still garnered a 60 million player base.
Even though Call of Duty was relatively late to the battle royale trend in gaming, the franchise was able to offer a more militaristic approach to the game mode thanks to the game’s realistic graphics and gunplay. Of course, this means higher production costs compared to other battle royales that preceded it, like Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds.
Recent data from GameFile’s Stephen Totilo revealed the costs of CoD games from 2015 through 2020. The findings indicate a rapid ballooning in production and marketing costs for the annual CoD releases. Black Ops 3, which was released in 2015, cost $450 million, while Modern Warfare (2019), which saw the most significant leap in gameplay and graphics, cost $640 million. A year later, costs were ramped up again for Black Ops: Cold War, which cost $700 million.
The Call of Duty franchise
Since 2003, Call of Duty has defined the fast-paced, action-packed first-person shooter segment of the gaming industry. Compared to tactical first-person shooters that typically prioritize slower pacing for the sake of strategy and timings, Call of Duty rewards a more arcade-like, run-and-gun playstyle combined with dynamic player movement, including jumping, proning, and sliding.
Despite its arcade-like format, Call of Duty is still a highly competitive game. Along with the rise of the esports industry, Activision-Blizzard launched the official Call of Duty League (CDL) — the game’s official esports circuit modeled after traditional US sports leagues. Players from around the US battle it out in the hopes of winning the CDL Championship at the end of the season. The game also recently joined the lineup of titles at the Esports World Cup, garnering 2.68 million hours viewed.
As Call of Duty esports continues to grow popular, fans and enthusiasts have also started placing bets on teams and players throughout CDL seasons and other tournaments or events. The crypto betting platform Thunderpick is very popular for its Call of Duty betting features, which allows CoD fans to put their in-game knowledge to the test. The platform also offers exceptional bonuses and promotions, from welcome bonuses for beginner bettors to loyalty bonuses and insurance promotions to help maximize winnings.
Just as traditional sports have their share of betting enthusiasts, Call of Duty’s following is also as interested in esports betting. A key factor that may contribute to the growth of Call of Duty esports and its betting scene is the globalization of the league. While the Call of Duty League currently only includes North American teams, the game’s presence at the Esports World Cup can help bring its esports scene to other players and fans around the world.
Most recently, the Call of Duty League announced a deal with the Esports World Cup Foundation. The three-year partnership ensures that Call of Duty Esports will be part of the Foundation’s annual, eight-week summer competition. This means that the Call of Duty League will extend its competitive calendar for 2025 into August to make way for the officially sanctioned event at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Aside from the classic CoD games, the battle royale game mode Warzone is also part of the deal.
Other expensive video game productions
Currently, while the disclosed production costs of recent Call of Duty games are certainly up there, Black Ops: Cold War’s $700 million budget isn’t actually the most expensive video game ever made.
Currently, the anime open-world and gacha RPG, Genshin Impact, is the most expensive video game to develop at a budget of more than $900 million. The numbers initially started with $100 million, but consistent updates and content releases has cost $200 million a year to maintain and grow the game.
Following Genshin Impact’s $900 million budget are Black Ops: Cold War’s $700 million and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)’s $640 million. While there are many long-awaited, fan favorite, and AAA games set to come out this year, perhaps no other title is hogging the spotlight as much as Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto 6.
If rumors are to be believed, GTA 6’s development may very well reach over $2 billion — making it potentially the most expensive game ever made for a long time to come. While the number may sound comically high, Grand Theft Auto V, which was released in 2013 for an estimated budget of $213 million, went on to sell $1 billion worth of copies just three days after its release. With so much anticipation surrounding the game, fans and experts aren’t doubting that Rockstar will break even pretty quickly.
Meanwhile, Call of Duty continues to ramp up production and marketing costs with each year’s release. While there’s no telling if we’ll be seeing a $2 billion Call of Duty anytime soon, it’ll be interesting to see how future CoD releases will look and play. 2024’s Black Ops 6, for example, introduced significant gameplay changes thanks to graphical and software advancements. Changes like the newly introduced Omnimovement system help provide fresh gameplay experiences for casual lobby grinders and professional CoD esports players, motivating them to play longer and tune into future titles.
If you enjoyed this post, you may want to check out our guide to winning in Warzone, featuring advice like landing in the right areas on the map and knowing when to pick your fights.
