Activision Spent Nearly $2 Billion From 2015-2020 For Development of 3 COD Games

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Biggest Game Budget Ever Disclosed!

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  • Call of Duty games released from 2015-2020 development cost has been recently revealed. 
  • Black Ops 2, Modern Warfare, and Black Ops Cold War cost over $450 million, $640 million, and $700 million, respectively. 
  • This means that Activision spent nearly $2 billion in the development of these three titles’ lifetime. 

The Call of Duty franchise is well-known in the gaming industry. It is one of the oldest franchises that is still going strong, which is a massive achievement. However, fans were extremely concerned with the release of Modern Warfare 3 as it had literally the worst campaign out of all COD.

While the fandom was concerned, Activision won back its trust with Black Ops 6 as it received a highly positive reception, but still, the old COD games were something else. 

One might wonder how much money the gaming giant spent on games that were loved by a dedicated fandom and are still played to this date. It should be noted that the Call of Duty games released from 2015 to 2020 cost $450-700 million to develop

 Why it matters: Call of Duty games bring big bucks in profit, and that is a well-known fact. However, it is pretty surprising that the developer spends a hefty amount of money to keep it running. 

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sold Like Hot Cakes Despite Being Available On Game Game Pass Day One

GameFile has recently discovered the cost of three COD games developed between 2015 and 2020 from Activision’s response to a lawsuit regarding the 2022 school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. 

The lawsuit reveals Kelly’s statement regarding the development costs of three games. Treyarch developed Black Os 3 (2015) over the course of three years, and it cost a total of $450 million over its lifetime. Kelly also revealed that the game has sold 43 million copies. 

Modern Warfare (2019), developed by Infinity Ward, took several years of development and cost over $640 million in its lifetime. Also, it has sold 41 million copies. 

Black Ops Cold War (2020) developed by Treyarch and Raven Software took years to create and cost over $700 million in its lifetime. The game sold 30 million copies.

Old Call of Duty Titles Were Ahead of Their Times

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War costing the gaming giant $700 million is pretty surprising, making it the biggest-ever game budget disclosed officially. Concord’s development cost was reported to be over $400 million, and Skull and Bones reportedly cost $650-$850 million.

However, neither of these figures was officially confirmed, making the Black Ops Cold War the most costly title ever.

It seems like Activision spent nearly $2 billion to develop three COD games. What do you think about this report? Did you think a COD game could cost this much to develop? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or join the discussion on the official Tech4Gamers forums.

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