While most AAA games these days have multi-million budgets, some games spend so much it borders on ridiculous territory. One of these games isCall of Duty: Black Ops 6. If the latest report about it is the real deal, Activision has spent over half a billion dollars in developing and marketing the newest Call of Duty gae.
In a report by the ever-reliableStephen Totilo, leaked court documents reveal what Activision has spent on three Call of Duty games, and one of these is Treyarch’s latest title, Black Ops 6, available for last-gen and current-gen consoles and PC.
Black Ops 6’s Development Budget Is The Biggest Ever Reported For A Game
In the court filing, Activision Head of Creative on the Call of Duty franchise, Patrick Kelly, noted the cost of three Call of Duty games released between 2015 and 2020.
The breakdown above is based on what Kelly filed in a court in California on July 21, 2025. It’s part of Activision’s response to a lawsuit filed against the company last May regarding the 2022 school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, which partially blames Instagram and Call of Duty as the reason for the tragic event.
Call of Duty Dev Open To Bringing More Classic Multiplayer Maps to Black Ops 6
Treyarch has already hinted at classic Call of Duty maps being in Black Ops 6.
I have never heard of a game that costs this much to develop. Compared to another AAA game, a redacted court filing in 2023 revealed that Sony spent $220 million to create The Last of Us: Part II.
Perhaps this is why Activision is adamant about monetizing Black Ops 6 this much? Not only are we getting a regular dose of new cosmetics almost every week, but there’s the premium Battle Pass, the more-expensive Black Cell Battle Pass, introduced this year, is a new Event Pass for the Squid Games 2 event, whichhas irked a lot of players from the community. I understand where the hate comes from since this is a full $70 boxed product with more monetization schemes than a free-to-play game.
With Microsoft now owning Activision, let’s hope things take a turn for the better for the franchise. I honestly don’t see any game eating up $700 million in budget or ever making a proper profit, even if it’s Call of Duty.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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