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 Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Costs (million US$)
Development Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Monopoly Go! 2023 Scopely Android, iOS 1,000[1] 1,000[1] 1,026
Genshin Impact 2020[a] miHoYo Android, iOS, PS4, Windows 900+[b] 998+
Star Citizen and Squadron 42 TBA[c] Cloud Imperium Games Windows 637+[7] 156+[7] 793+[7] 955+
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 2020 Treyarch / Raven Software Activision PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 700[8] 871
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 Infinity Ward Activision PS4, Windows, Xbox One 640[8] 806
Call of Duty: Black Ops III 2015 Treyarch Activision PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One 450[8] 611
Cyberpunk 2077 2020 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt PS4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One 174[9] 142[9] 441.9[d] 526
2023[e] PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 103.6[f] 21.6[10]
Battlefield 6 2025 Battlefield Studios Electronic Arts PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 400+[11] 400
Marvel's Spider-Man 3[g][h] TBA Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment TBA 385[12] 407
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 Infinity Ward Activision PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 40–50[13] 150–160[13] 200[13] 360–375
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 2023 Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS5 315[12] 333
Marvel's Wolverine[h] 2026 Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS5 305[12] 322
Final Fantasy VII 1997 Square Square, Sony Computer Entertainment PS1 40–45[14][15] 40–100[16][15] 80–145 160–291
The Last of Us Part II 2020 Naughty Dog Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4 220[17] 220[17] 274
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales 2020 Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4, PS5 81.7[18] 25.1[18] 213.3[i] 265
Horizon Forbidden West 2022 Guerrilla Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4, PS5 212[17] 212[17] 233
Halo 2 2004 Bungie Microsoft Studios Xbox 40[19] 80[19] 120[19] 205
Destiny 2014 Bungie Activision PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One 140[20] 190
The Callisto Protocol 2022 Striking Distance Studios Krafton PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S 162[21] 178
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 2018 Eidos Montréal Square Enix PS4, Windows, Xbox One 75–100[22] 35[22] 110–135 141–173
Dead Space 2 2011 Visceral Games Electronic Arts PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 60[23] 60[23] 120 172
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 100+[24] 150+
Undawn 2023 Lightspeed Studios, Level Infinite Tencent Games Android, iOS, Windows 140[25] 148
Battlefield 4 2013 EA DICE Electronic Arts PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 100[26] 100 138
Immortals of Aveum 2023 Ascendant Studios Electronic Arts PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 80[27] 45[27] 125 132
Shenmue 1999 Sega AM2 Sega Dreamcast 47[28][29] 47–70[28] 91–135
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt PS4, Windows, Xbox One 81[30] 110
Rift 2011 Trion Worlds Windows 50+[31] 10–20[31] 60–70+[31] 86–100+
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 2021 Insomniac Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS5 81[32] 96
Watch Dogs 2014 Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One 68+[33] 92+
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier 2012 Ubisoft Paris, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Bucharest Ubisoft PS3, Xbox 360 65[34] 91
Gran Turismo 5 2010 Polyphony Digital Sony Computer Entertainment PS3 60[35] 89
Gears of War 3 2011 Epic Games Microsoft Studios Xbox 360 48–60[36] 69–86
Gears of War: Judgment 2013 Epic Games, People Can Fly Microsoft Studios Xbox 360 60[37] 83
Heavy Rain 2010 Quantic Dream Sony Computer Entertainment PS3 21.8[38][39] 30.4[38][39] 52.2[38][39] 77
Final Fantasy IX 2000 Square PS1 40[40] 75
Black Myth: Wukong 2024 Game Science PS5, Windows 70[41] 72
Lords of the Fallen 2023 Hexworks CI Games PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 42.2[42] 24.4[j] 66.6[42] 70
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 Atari, Inc. Atari 2600 21–22[k] 70–73
Darksiders II 2012 Vigil Games THQ PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 50[45] 70
Half-Life 2 2004 Valve Windows 40+[46] 68+
Kingdom Under Fire II 2019 Blueside, Phantagram Gameforge Windows 50+[47] 68+
Ghost of Tsushima 2020 Sucker Punch Productions Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4, Windows 60[48] 60[48] 60
Control Resonant TBA Remedy Entertainment PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 52.9[49] 52.9[49] 54
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Cancelled games

More information Name, Year cancelled ...
Name Year cancelled Developer Publisher Platform(s) Costs (million US$)
Development 2025 inflation
Titan Project 2007–2008 Ensemble Studios Microsoft Game Studios Windows 90[50] 135
Wonder Woman 2025[51] Monolith Productions Warner Bros. Games Unknown 100+[52] 100
Fable Legends 2016 Lionhead Studios Microsoft Studios Windows, Xbox One 75[53] 101
This Is Vegas 2009–2010 Surreal Software Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 40–50[54] 59–74
Volt 2021 Hangar 13 2K Unknown 53[55] 53
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Unofficial figures

Analyst estimations

More information Name, Year ...
Name Year Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Analyst(s) Costs (million US$) Ref.
Name Institution Dev. Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 Arvind Bhatia Sterne Agee 137.5 69–109.3 206.5–246.8 285–341 [56]
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Rockstar Games PS4, Xbox One Michael Pachter Wedbush Securities 170 170 218 [57]
Halo 5: Guardians 2015 343 Industries Microsoft Studios Xbox One 160 160 217 [58]
Marvel's Avengers 2020 Crystal Dynamics Square Enix PS4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One David Gibson Astris Advisory 170+ 211+ [59]
Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020 Square Enix Business Division 1 Square Enix PS4 Yuhsuke Koyama Shibaura Institute of Technology 144 144 179 [60]
Atul Goyal Jefferies & Company <140 <140 <174
Max Payne 3 2012 Rockstar Studios Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 Arvind Bhatia Sterne Agee 105 105 147 [61]
Tomb Raider 2013 Crystal Dynamics Square Enix PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 Billy Pidgeon N/a 100 138 [62]
Resident Evil 2 2019 Capcom PS4, Windows, Xbox One Atul Goyal Jefferies & Company <100 <100 <126 [60]
Halo 3 2007 Bungie Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 Michael Pachter Wedbush Securities 30+ 15–20 60+ 93+ [63]
Alan Wake 2 2023 Remedy Entertainment Epic Games Publishing PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S Atte Riikola Inderes 53.5 21.5 75 79 [64]
ARC Raiders 2025 Embark Studios PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S Michael Pachter Wedbush Securities 75 75 [65]
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning 2008 Mythic Entertainment Electronic Arts Windows 50 50 75 [66]
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 45 45 67 [67]
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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 Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Press outlet Costs (million US$) Ref.
Dev. Marketing Total Total (2025 inflation)
Grand Theft Auto VI 2026 Rockstar Games PS5, Xbox Series X/S Several[l] 1,000–2,000 1,000–2,000 [l]
MindsEye 2025 Build a Rocket Boy IO Interactive PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows Gameranx 500 500 [73]
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Rockstar Games PS4, Xbox One VentureBeat 200–300 200–300 256–385 [57]
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 The Scotsman 265 366 [74]
Star Wars: The Old Republic 2011 BioWare Electronic Arts, LucasArts Windows Los Angeles Times 200+ 286+ [75]
Marathon 2026 Bungie PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S Forbes 200–250+ 200–250+ [76]
Concord 2024 Firewalk Studios Sony Interactive Entertainment PS5, Windows Kotaku 200+ 205+ [77]
Skull and Bones 2024 Ubisoft Singapore Ubisoft PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows Insider Gaming 200 205 [78]
Too Human 2008 Silicon Knights Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 USgamer 60–100 90–150 [79]
Red Dead Redemption 2010 Rockstar San Diego Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 The New York Times 80–100 118–148 [80]
APB: All Points Bulletin 2010 Realtime Worlds Electronic Arts, Realtime Worlds Windows The Guardian 100 148 [81]
Enter the Matrix 2003 Shiny Entertainment Infogrames GameCube, PS2, Windows, Xbox Wall Street Journal 20 80[m] 140 [82]
Disney Infinity 2013 Avalanche Software, Altron (3DS) Disney Interactive Studios 3DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 Los Angeles Times 100+ 138+ [83]
Deadpool 2013 High Moon Studios Activision PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 GameSpot 100[n] 138 [85]
Mass Effect: Andromeda 2017 BioWare Electronic Arts PS4, Windows, Xbox One Edmonton Journal 100 131 [86]
Defiance 2013 Trion Worlds, Human Head Studios Trion Worlds PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 Forbes 80 80 111 [87]
Mortal Kombat II 1994 Probe Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment Game Gear, Sega Genesis, SNES San Francisco Chronicle 50 109 [88]
Sonic & Knuckles 1994 Sega Technical Institute Sega Sega Genesis Los Angeles Times 45 45 98 [89]
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2010 Treyarch Activision Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows, Xbox 360, OS X 50+ 74 [90]
DC Universe Online 2011 Dimensional Ink Games Daybreak Game Company, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment PS3, Windows 50 50 72 [91]
L.A. Noire 2011 Team Bondi Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 BBC News 50 50 72 [92]
Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 Nintendo EAD Nintendo NES The Seattle Times 0.8 25.8+ 70+ [93]
The Indianapolis Star 25+ [94]
Final Fantasy X 2001 Square Product Development Division 1 Square PS2 Yomiuri Shimbun 32.3 32.3+ 62+ [95]
Halo 3 2007 Bungie Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 The Hollywood Reporter 40 40 62 [96]
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Includes ongoing costs as of 2024[2]
  2. [b]
    US$100 million for initial development, US$200 million annually for ongoing development as of 2024[3][4][2]
  3. [c]
    Playable elements of the game were first released in 2013,[5] but the game remains in early access, with no final release date announced.[6] Costs representative of development up to 2022.[7]
  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[10]
  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
  9. [i]
    Includes US$106.5 million licensing fee[18]
  10. [j]
    US$19.3 million for marketing and US$5.1 million for production of physical copies[42]
  11. [k]
    Licensing fee[43][44]
  12. [l]
    Several outlets reported on Grand Theft Auto VI's rumored US$1–2 billion budget,[68][69][70] though the figure remains unverified.[71][72]
  13. [m]
    Including licensing fee[82]
  14. [n]
    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".[84]

References

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