Call of Duty apparently sets a new record for GTA 6 to break: Report

GTA 6 has already made history by breaking some world records and is expected to shatter many more when it finally releases. While there are several areas where the game might excel, another major franchise has already set a record in one specific field — the developmental budget. A Game File report on January 7, 2025, revealed that Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War has the highest developmental cost ever reported or leaked for a video game.

Read on to learn more about the reported developmental cost, and how it compares to the rumored GTA 6 budget.

Note: Some aspects of this article are based on the writer's opinions.

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Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War gives GTA 6 a target of $700 million

According to Game File’s report, Raven Software and Treyarch spent around $700 million to develop Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. This makes it the most expensive video game ever made as per current public data. It even surpasses the estimated developmental cost of both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption.

Here’s how two of the biggest titles compare to Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War in terms of the reported developmental costs:

• Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War - $700 million
• Red Dead Redemption 2 - $540 million
• Grand Theft Auto 5 - $265 million

Players should note that a few other big names in the gaming industry, like Genshin Impact supposedly have a bigger developmental budget. However, that data hasn’t been made public yet and cannot be considered until confirmed.

Game File’s report also revealed the developmental costs of the following Call of Duty titles:

• Call of Duty Black Ops 3 - $450 million
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) - $640 million

Despite the impressive record set by other titles, it seems as if GTA 6 might surpass them and become the most expensive video game ever made.

Also Check: Someone claims to have seen GTA 6 gameplay and shared interesting details

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GTA 6 budget rumoured to be $1-2 billion

There has been a rumor on the internet for quite some time that the GTA 6 budget is likely to be around $1-2 billion. If this is true, then there’s no doubt that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto title will surpass the developmental cost record set by Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by Rockstar Games. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick once said that the upcoming game will set new bars in the gaming industry.

As always, fans should take rumors will a grain of salt. The actual developmental cost of Grand Theft Auto 6 will most likely be revealed after its launch.

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Also Check: Leaked San Andreas source code is reportedly fake