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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

Official figures

Name Year Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Development cost
(million US$) 		Marketing cost
(million US$) 		Total cost
(million US$) 		Total cost with 2023 inflation
(million US$)
Star Citizen TBA[a] Cloud Imperium Games Cloud Imperium Games Windows 415+[3] 86+[3] 501+[3] 563+
Cyberpunk 2077 2020 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt PS4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One 174[4] 142[4] 441.9[b] 498
2023[c] PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 103.6[d] 21.6[5]
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 Infinity Ward Activision PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 40–50[6] 200[6] 240–250[6] 341–355
Final Fantasy VII 1997 Square Square, Sony Computer Entertainment PS1 40–45[7][8] 40–100[9][8] 80–145 152–275
The Last of Us Part II 2020 Naughty Dog Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4 220[10] 220[10] 259
Halo 2 2004 Bungie Microsoft Studios Xbox 40[11] 80[11] 120[11] 258
Horizon Forbidden West 2022 Guerrilla Games Sony Interactive Entertainment PS4, PS5 212[10] 212[10] 221
Destiny 2014 Bungie Activision PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One 140[12] 180
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 2018 Eidos Montréal Square Enix PS4, Windows, Xbox One 75–100[13] 35[13] 110–135 133–164
Dead Space 2 2011 Visceral Games Electronic Arts PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 60[14] 60[14] 120 163
Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 100+[15] 142+
Shenmue 1999 Sega AM2 Sega Dreamcast 47[16][17] 47–70[16] 86–128
Battlefield 4 2013 EA DICE Electronic Arts PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 100[18] 100 131
Genshin Impact 2020 miHoYo miHoYo Android, iOS, PS4, Windows 100+[e] 118+[e]
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 CD Projekt Red CD Projekt PS4, Windows, Xbox One 81[20] 104
Rift 2011 Trion Worlds Trion Worlds Windows 50+ 10–20 60–70+[21] 81–95+
Watch Dogs 2014 Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft PS3, PS4, Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One 68+[22] 68+ 88+
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier 2012 Ubisoft Paris, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Bucharest Ubisoft PS3, Xbox 360 65[23] 86
Gran Turismo 5 2010 Polyphony Digital Sony Computer Entertainment PS3 60[24] 60 84
Gears of War 3 2011 Epic Games Microsoft Studios Xbox 360 48–60[25] 48–60 65–81
Gears of War: Judgment 2013 Epic Games, People Can Fly Microsoft Studios Xbox 360 60[26] 78
Heavy Rain 2010 Quantic Dream Sony Computer Entertainment PS3 21.8[27][28] 30.4[27][28] 52.2[27][28] 73
Final Fantasy IX 2000 Square Square PS1 40[29] 40+ 71+
Lords of the Fallen 2023 Hexworks CI Games PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S 42.2[30] 24.4[f] 66.6[30] 67
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982 Atari, Inc. Atari, Inc. Atari 2600 21–22[g] 66–69
Darksiders II 2012 Vigil Games THQ PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 50[33] 66
Half-Life 2 2004 Valve Valve Windows 40[34] 40 65
Kingdom Under Fire II 2019 Blueside, Phantagram Gameforge Windows 50+[35] 64

Cancelled games

Name Year cancelled Developer Publisher Platform Development cost
(million US$) 		Cost with 2023 inflation
(million US$)
Halo MMO (Titan Project) 2007–2008 Ensemble Studios Microsoft Game Studios Windows 90[36] 127
Fable Legends 2016 Lionhead Studios Microsoft Studios Windows, Xbox One 75[37] 95+
This Is Vegas 2009–2010 Surreal Software Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 40–50[38] 56–70
Volt (working title) 2021 Hangar 13 2K Un­known 53[39] 53

Unofficial figures

Analyst estimations

Name Year Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Analyst Firm / institution Development cost
(million US$) 		Marketing cost
(million US$) 		Total cost
(million US$) 		Total cost with 2023 inflation
(million US$) 		Ref
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 Arvind Bhatia Sterne Agee 137.5 69–109.3 206.5–246.8 270–323 [40]
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Rockstar Studios Rockstar Games PS4, Xbox One Michael Pachter Wedbush Securities 170 170 206 [41]
Halo 5: Guardians 2015 343 Industries Microsoft Studios Xbox One 160 160 206 [42]
Marvel's Avengers 2020 Crystal Dynamics Square Enix PS4, Stadia, Windows, Xbox One David Gibson Astris Advisory 170+ 200+ [43]
Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020 Square Enix Business Division 1 Square Enix PS4 Yuhsuke Koyama Shibaura Institute of Technology 144 144 170 [44]
Atul Goyal Jefferies & Company <140 <140 <165
Max Payne 3 2012 Rockstar Studios Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 Arvind Bhatia Sterne Agee 105 105 139 [45]
Tomb Raider 2013 Crystal Dynamics Square Enix PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 Billy Pidgeon — 100 131 [46]
Resident Evil 2 2019 Capcom Capcom PS4, Windows, Xbox One Atul Goyal Jefferies & Company <100 <100 <119 [44]
Halo 3 2007 Bungie Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 Michael Pachter Wedbush Securities 30+ 15–20 60+ 88+ [47]

Press estimations

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

Name Year Developer Publisher Original platform(s) Press outlet Development cost
(million US$) 		Marketing cost
(million US$) 		Total cost
(million US$) 		Total cost with 2023 inflation
(million US$) 		Ref
Red Dead Redemption 2 2018 Rockstar Studios Rockstar Games PS4, Xbox One VentureBeat 200–300 200–300 243–364 [41]
Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Rockstar North Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 The Scotsman 265 347 [48]
Star Wars: The Old Republic 2011 BioWare Electronic Arts, LucasArts Windows Los Angeles Times 200+ 271+ [49]
Too Human 2008 Silicon Knights Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 USgamer 60–100 85–142 [50]
Red Dead Redemption 2010 Rockstar San Diego Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 The New York Times 80–100 112–140 [51]
APB: All Points Bulletin 2010 Realtime Worlds Electronic Arts, Realtime Worlds Windows The Guardian 100 140 [52]
Disney Infinity 2013 Avalanche Software, Altron (3DS) Disney Interactive Studios 3DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 Los Angeles Times 100+ 131+ [53]
Deadpool 2013 High Moon Studios Activision PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 GameSpot 100 131 [54]
Mass Effect: Andromeda 2017 BioWare Electronic Arts PS4, Windows, Xbox One Edmonton Journal 100 124 [55]
Defiance 2013 Trion Worlds, Human Head Studios Trion Worlds PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 Forbes 80 80 105 [56]
Mortal Kombat II 1994 Probe Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment Game Gear, Sega Genesis, SNES San Francisco Chronicle 50 103 [57]
Sonic & Knuckles 1994 Sega Sega Sega Genesis Los Angeles Times 45 45 93 [58]
DC Universe Online 2011 Dimensional Ink Games Daybreak Game Company, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment PS3, Windows 50 50 68 [59]
L.A. Noire 2011 Team Bondi Rockstar Games PS3, Xbox 360 BBC News 50 50 68 [60]
Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 Nintendo EAD Nintendo NES The Seattle Times 0.8 25.8+ 66+ [61]
The Indianapolis Star 25+ [62]
Final Fantasy X 2001 Square Square PS2 Yomiuri Shimbun 32.3 32.3+ 59+ [63]
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2010 Treyarch Activision Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii, Windows, Xbox 360, OS X Los Angeles Times 50+ 70 [64]
Halo 3 2007 Bungie Microsoft Game Studios Xbox 360 The Hollywood Reporter 40 40 59 [65]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Playable elements of the game 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 2021.[3]
  2. ^ Approximately US$316 million for original game[4] and US$125.9 million for Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content[5]
  3. ^ Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content
  4. ^ US$40.9 million for Update 2.0 and US$62.7 million for Phantom Liberty DLC[5]
  5. ^ a b In addition to its initial budget of US$100 million, Genshin Impact is said to have an annual budget of US$200 million for its ongoing development.[19]
  6. ^ US$19.3 million for marketing and US$5.1 million for production of physical copies[30]
  7. ^ Licensing fee[31][32]

References

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  3. ^ a b c d "Cloud Imperium Financials for 2021". cloudimperiumgames.com. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "2020 results" (PDF). cdprojekt.com. April 2021. p. 2. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
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