AAA Games That Cost More To Make Than Red Dead Redemption 2

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Video game budgets have been getting a lot of attention lately, and it’s easy to see why – developers are spending more and more money on their games each year. A prime example is Red Dead Redemption 2, which cost a staggering $170 million to create. That investment is visible in the game’s stunning graphics, immersive world, and incredible attention to detail.

Other game developers are also investing heavily, with multi-million dollar projects constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Some focus on sequels that aim for greater complexity, while others are entirely new worlds designed to offer players stunning visuals, deeper experiences, and more content than ever before.

These numbers reflect development spending only and don’t include marketing costs. While getting precise figures is difficult, the data presented comes from reliable sources.

Battlefield 6

Big Battles Mean Big Budgets

Details:

  • Large-scale modern shooter with real-time destruction
  • Long time to develop, with worker burnout being common
  • Estimated development cost: $400 million +
  • Source

As a huge Battlefield fan, I’ve been following news about the latest installment, and wow, it sounds incredible! Apparently, it’s one of the most expensive first-person shooters ever made, and you can really feel that in the scale of the battles. The series has always been about massive destruction and pushing what’s possible with game tech, and this one takes it to another level. They’ve really upgraded the engine and the sound design is amazing – whether you’re climbing a skyscraper or fighting through a blizzard, it feels like you’re right there in the action.

Creating this game required a significant financial investment to match its ambitious goals. Everything, from the visuals to how it plays, needed to be high quality to maintain the reputation of the series. The increased costs also reflect how complex modern online shooter games have become. With so many players and high expectations, launching a single shooter can quickly become as expensive as making a major blockbuster movie.

Cyberpunk 2077

Long Development Time For A Massive Project

Details:

  • Ambitious futuristic open-world
  • Early reveal drew in hype, but required more development to fix bugs
  • Estimated development cost: $174 million + $103.6 million post launch
  • Source

Cyberpunk 2077 was a massive undertaking for CD Projekt Red. First announced in 2012, it took eight years to finally release, and unfortunately, it launched with many problems. The game immerses players in a detailed and visually stunning dystopian world with a complex story, but achieving this ambitious vision required a development budget that quickly climbed into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Despite the initial investment, the game had a rocky start and needed numerous updates and additions to fix bugs and improve the overall experience. The game’s development highlights the challenges of turning grand ideas into a finished product. Fortunately, the developers’ resources and commitment ultimately resulted in one of the most highly-regarded RPGs available.

The Last Of Us Part 2

More Fidelity And Detail Than Ever

Details:

  • Huge graphical upgrade from the original
  • A large team plus internal shifts due to COVID towards the end of development
  • Estimated development cost: $220 million
  • Source

The Last of Us Part 2 aimed to be incredibly cinematic, using detailed animations and lifelike characters to create a deeply engaging story that followed up on the original game. While development took a long time and presented many hurdles, the biggest factor driving up the game’s cost was its commitment to realism.

The budget shows the studio is committed to a strong story and high-quality presentation, since players especially loved the characters and narrative in the first game. While the second game wasn’t as universally praised as hoped, it still sold well and won numerous awards, including Game of the Year.

Horizon Forbidden West

A Next-Generation Technical Masterpiece

Details:

  • A larger-scale world with more technical challenges
  • Growing team size and long cycle, both for dev and motion capture
  • Estimated development cost: $212 million
  • Source

Developing Horizon Forbidden West was incredibly expensive, reflecting its massive scope and detailed design – from the expansive landscapes to the complex machines. Building on the original game, it features richer environments and a wider range of creatures, making it not only beautiful to look at, but also a significant improvement in gameplay compared to its predecessor and many other games released around the same time.

Okay, so Guerrilla really went all-out with the tech in this game. They completely upgraded the lighting and physics, and the facial expressions and dialogue are way more realistic than anything they’ve done before. Honestly, it was a massive undertaking – a huge team of developers were working crazy hours to get the game finished, all while also working on DLC and other stuff. It was a lot to juggle!

Call Of Duty

Leading The Charge In The FPS Genre

Details:

  • Fast turnaround due to yearly releases and ongoing support
  • Graphical improvements and rapid innovation with each title
  • Estimated development cost: BO3 $450 million, MW (2019) $640 million, BO Cold War $700 million
  • Source

For many years, the Call of Duty series has been a leader in the first-person shooter genre, and despite some challenges, it continues to grow each year. To remain successful, the developers need to constantly innovate, which increases the cost of making each game. For example, creating a visually stunning and technically advanced experience like Black Ops 3 – with its fast-paced multiplayer and detailed Zombies storyline – required significant financial investment.

More recent Call of Duty games, such as Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare (2019), have cost increasingly more to make. Each new installment aims to look better than the last, but developers have less time to finish them. They also face challenges like supporting a wider range of gaming hardware and meeting the demands of a larger player base. This means providing reliable online services and consistently releasing new content after launch to keep players engaged until the next game is released.

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2025-11-23 21:06