How expensive was RDR2 to make?
According to Take-Two Interactive‘s SEC filings and analyst estimates, the total development and marketing budget for Red Dead Redemption 2 ranged from $370-540 million.
To put that figure in perspective, that places RDR2 among the top 3 most expensive games ever created. Only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Star Citizen likely had comparable budgets based on industry insider estimates.
Breakdown of Estimated Development Costs
| Expense | Cost |
| Direct Salaries (2,000 devs x $100k x 7 years) | $1.4 billion |
| Overhead (office space, equipment, etc.) | $300 million |
| Motion Capture Studio | $50 million |
| Marketing and Promotion | $200-270 million |
| Total | $1.95 – 2.02 billion |
So by my own estimates, the full cost could have ballooned up to $2 billion once you account for all factors! However, thanks to being able to reuse engines and assets from GTA V, and the incredible sales numbers, this was likely still a profitable endeavor for Rockstar.
Why Was It So Expensive?
Here‘s a breakdown of some of the key reasons RDR2‘s costs skyrocketed:
- Massive open world map crammed with detail – modeling, texturing, populating this world
- 300,000 animations created for main character alone
- Oscar-worthy motion captured cutscenes
- Thousands of lines of recorded dialogue and soundtrack
- Ambitious online multiplayer component was reworked mid-development
- Numerous delays to polish and optimize rather than rush things
Frankly, as a die-hard fan of Rockstar‘s games myself, I believe every dollar spent was worth it for the breathtaking experience they delivered! Here‘s hoping they keep raising the bar with GTA 6 and beyond.
Let me know in the comments what you think – does big budget gaming ultimately benefit gamers and push the medium forward? Or does it risk developers playing things too safe?
