List of most expensive video games to develop

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The following is a list of the most expensive video games ever developed, with a minimum total cost of US$50 million and sorted by the total cost adjusted for inflation. Most game budgets are not disclosed, so this list is not indicative of industry trends.

Lists

  – Indicates ongoing costs of development post-release

Official figures

More information Name, Year ...
Name Year Costs (million US$) Ref.
Development Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Star Citizen and Squadron 42 TBA[a] 760.7+ 193.8+ 954.6+ 1,120+ [3]
Monopoly Go! 2023 1,000 1,000 1,026 [4]
Genshin Impact 2020[b] 900+[c] 998+ [c]
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 2020 700 871 [8]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 640 806 [8]
Call of Duty: Black Ops III 2015 450 611 [8]
Cyberpunk 2077 2020 174 142 441.9[d] 526 [d]
2023[e] 103.6[f] 21.6
Battlefield 6 2025 400+ 400 [11]
Marvel's Spider-Man 3‍[g][h] TBA 385 407 [12]
World of Warcraft 2004 63+ 263+[i] 406+ [i]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 40–50 150–160 200 360–375 [17]
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 2023 315 333 [12]
Marvel's Wolverine‍[h] 2026 305 322 [12]
Final Fantasy VII 1997 40–45 40–100 80–145 160–291 [18][19]
The Last of Us Part II 2020 220 220 274 [20]
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales 2020 81.7 25.1 213.3[j] 265 [21]
Horizon Forbidden West 2022 212 212 233 [20]
Halo 2 2004 40 80 120 205 [22]
Destiny 2014 140 190 [23]
The Callisto Protocol 2022 162 178 [24]
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 2018 75–100 35 110–135 141–173 [25]
Dead Space 2 2011 60 60 120 172 [26]
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 100+ 150+ [27]
Undawn 2023 140 148 [28]
Battlefield 4 2013 100 100 138 [29]
Immortals of Aveum 2023 80 45 125 132 [30]
Shenmue 1999 47 47–70 91–135 [31][32]
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 81 110 [33]
Rift 2011 50+ 10–20 60–70+ 86–100+ [34]
Final Fantasy VIII 1999 50 97 [35]
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2021 81 96 [36]
Watch Dogs 2014 68+ 92+ [37]
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier 2012 65 91 [38]
Gran Turismo 5 2010 60 89 [39]
Gears of War 3 2011 48–60 69–86 [40]
Gears of War: Judgment 2013 60 83 [41]
Heavy Rain 2010 21.8 30.4 52.2 77 [42][43]
Final Fantasy IX 2000 40 75 [44]
Ghost of Tsushima 2020 60 60 75 [45]
Black Myth: Wukong 2024 70 72 [46]
Lords of the Fallen 2023 42.2 24.4[k] 66.6 70 [47]
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 21–22[l] 70–73 [48][49]
Darksiders II 2012 50 70 [50]
Half-Life 2 2004 40+ 68+ [51]
Kingdom Under Fire II 2019 50+ 68+ [52]
Control Resonant 2026 52.9 52.9 54 [53]
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Cancelled games

More information Name, Year cancelled ...
Name Year cancelled Costs (million US$) Ref.
Development 2025 inflation
Titan Project 2007–2008 90 135 [54]
Wonder Woman 2025 100+ 100 [55][56]
Fable Legends 2016 75 101 [57]
This Is Vegas 2009–2010 40–50 59–74 [58]
Volt 2021 53 53 [59]
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Unofficial figures

Analyst estimations

More information Name, Year ...
Name Year Analyst(s) Costs (million US$) Ref.
Dev Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Sterne Agee 137.5 69–109.3 206.5–246.8 285–341 [60]
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Wedbush Securities 170 170 218 [61]
Halo 5: Guardians 2015 160 160 217 [62]
Marvel's Avengers 2020 Astris Advisory 170+ 211+ [63]
Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020 Shibaura Institute of Technology 144 144 179 [64]
Jefferies & Company <140 <140 <174
Max Payne 3 2012 Sterne Agee 105 105 147 [65]
Tomb Raider 2013 Billy Pidgeon 100 138 [66]
Resident Evil 2 2019 Jefferies & Company <100 <100 <126 [64]
Halo 3 2007 Wedbush Securities 30+ 15–20 60+ 93+ [67]
Alan Wake 2 2023 Inderes 53.5 21.5 75 79 [68]
ARC Raiders 2025 Wedbush Securities 75 75 [69]
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning 2008 50 50 75 [70]
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 45 45 67 [71]
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Press estimations

The following budgets have been estimated by press outlets without naming any specific analyst or firm.

More information Name, Year ...
Name Year Press outlet(s) Costs (million US$) Ref.
Dev Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Grand Theft Auto VI 2026 Several[m] 1,000–2,000 1,000–2,000 [m]
MindsEye 2025 Gameranx 500 500 [77]
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 VentureBeat 200–300 200–300 256–385 [61]
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 The Scotsman 265 366 [78]
Star Wars: The Old Republic 2011 Los Angeles Times 200+ 286+ [79]
Marathon 2026 Forbes 200–250+ 200–250+ [80]
Concord 2024 Kotaku 200+ 205+ [81]
Skull and Bones 2024 Insider Gaming 200 205 [82]
Enter the Matrix 2003 Variety 20 80[n] 100 175 [83]
Wall Street Journal 20 80[o] 140 [84]
Too Human 2008 USgamer 60–100 90–150 [85]
Red Dead Redemption 2010 The New York Times 80–100 118–148 [86]
APB: All Points Bulletin 2010 The Guardian 100 148 [87]
Disney Infinity 2013 Los Angeles Times 100+ 138+ [88]
Deadpool 2013 GameSpot 100[p] 138 [90]
Mass Effect: Andromeda 2017 Edmonton Journal 100 131 [91]
Defiance 2013 Forbes 80 80 111 [92]
Mortal Kombat II 1994 San Francisco Chronicle 50 109 [93]
Sonic & Knuckles 1994 Los Angeles Times 45 45 98 [94]
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2010 50+ 74 [95]
DC Universe Online 2011 50 50 72 [96]
L.A. Noire 2011 BBC News 50 50 72 [97]
Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 The Seattle Times 0.8 25.8+ 70+ [98]
The Indianapolis Star 25+ [99]
Final Fantasy X 2001 Yomiuri Shimbun 32.3 32.3+ 62+ [100]
Halo 3 2007 The Hollywood Reporter 40 40 62 [101]
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Playable elements of Star Citizen were first released in 2013,[1] but the game remains in early access, with no final release date announced.[2] Costs representative of development up to 2024.[3]
  2. [b]
    Includes ongoing costs as of 2024[5]
  3. [c]
    US$100 million for initial development, US$200 million annually for ongoing development as of 2024[6][7][5]
  4. [d]
    Approximately US$316 million for original game[9] and US$125.9 million for Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content[9]
  5. [e]
    Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content
  6. [f]
    US$40.9 million for Update 2.0 and US$62.7 million for Phantom Liberty DLC[10]
  7. [g]
    Unannounced game[12]
  8. [h]
    Projected figure[12]
  9. [i]
    More than €50 million (US$63 million) for initial development[13][14] and US$200 million for ongoing development and maintenance as of 2008.[15][16]
  10. [j]
    Includes US$106.5 million licensing fee[21]
  11. [k]
    US$19.3 million for marketing and US$5.1 million for production of physical copies[47]
  12. [l]
    Licensing fee[48][49]
  13. [m]
    Several outlets reported on Grand Theft Auto VI's rumored US$1–2 billion budget,[72][73][74] though the figure remains unverified.[75][76]
  14. [n]
    Including licensing fee and distribution[83]
  15. [o]
    Including licensing fee[84]
  16. [p]
    Chris Baker, former interactive manager at Marvel Games, disputed Deadpool's US$100 million figure in 2024 and claimed the actual budget was "not even close".[89]

References

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