The following is a list of the most expensive video games ever developed, with a minimum total cost of US$50 million and sorted by the total cost adjusted for inflation. Most game budgets are not disclosed, so this list is not indicative of industry trends.
Lists
[edit]Official figures
[edit]Cancelled games
[edit]Name | Year cancelled | Developer | Publisher | Platform | Costs (million US$) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Development | 2023 inflation | |||||
Halo MMO (Titan Project) | 2007–2008 | Ensemble Studios | Microsoft Game Studios | Windows | 90[44] | 127 |
Fable Legends | 2016 | Lionhead Studios | Microsoft Studios | Windows, Xbox One | 75[45] | 95+ |
This Is Vegas | 2009–2010 | Surreal Software | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment | PS3, Windows, Xbox 360 | 40–50[46] | 56–70 |
Volt (working title) | 2021 | Hangar 13 | 2K | Unknown | 53[47] | 53 |
Unofficial figures
[edit]Analyst estimations
[edit]Press estimations
[edit]The following budgets have been estimated by press outlets without naming any specific analyst or firm.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Includes ongoing costs
- ^ US$100 million for initial development, US$200 million annually for ongoing development as of 2024[update][1][2]
- ^ Playable elements of the game were first released in 2013,[3] but the game remains in early access, with no final release date announced.[4] Costs representative of development up to 2022.[5]
- ^ Approximately US$316 million for original game[7] and US$125.9 million for Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content[8]
- ^ Update 2.0 upgrade and Phantom Liberty downloadable content
- ^ US$40.9 million for Update 2.0 and US$62.7 million for Phantom Liberty DLC[8]
- ^ Unannounced game[9]
- ^ a b Projected figure
- ^ US$19.3 million for marketing and US$5.1 million for production of physical copies[38]
- ^ Licensing fee[39][40]
- ^ 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".[64]
References
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By the end of the cycle, Gears of War 3 cost about four or five times more than the original to make.
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