Why is COD MW2 so expensive?
As a passionate Call of Duty fan and industry watcher, I‘ve done some digging into why Activision Blizzard has priced MW2 at $70 across all platforms – $10 above the normal $60 price tag.
Skyrocketing Game Development Budgets
Per reports from my industry sources, MW2 had a budget way over $250 million, making it one of the most expensive Call of Duty titles ever produced. For comparison, the original 2009 MW2 cost around $50 million total. With studio teams now consisting of 500-700 developers, and 3+ years dedicated to each annual release, production budgets have entered blockbuster movie territory.
Table: Soaring Costs of Recent Call of Duty Games
| Game | Development Budget |
|---|---|
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | $15 million |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) | $40-50 million |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | Over $250 million |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) | Over $250 million |
With graphics and audio quality on par with Hollywood films, publishers need to pass some of these mounting expenses down to consumers.
Pandemic Aftermath & Inflationary Pressures
The 2020-2022 pandemic saw inflation in the United States hit its highest levels since the early 1980s, while video game revenues achieved record growth with quarantined consumers staying home.
This economic environment enabled publishers to inch prices up to $70 to help offset broader inflationary pressures and likely made the decision an easier sell to shareholders seeking to maximize returns – even if not applauded by consumers.
Warzone‘s Free-to-Play Focus
With Call of Duty: Warzone raking in over $2 billion from optional cosmetic purchases and battle passes alone, Activision is clearly focused on maximizing revenue opportunities from its free-to-play audiences.
Charging full-price for premium experiences like Modern Warfare 2‘s campaign and multiplayer helps fund the publisher‘s primary free-to-play strategy. Considering Warzone players now number in the tens of millions, even small conversion percentages represent significant added revenue from premium releases priced at $70.
For Activision, extracting as much spending as possible from wholly optional cosmetic items in the free game makes the most business sense. Charging loyal audiences premium prices for new gameplay experiences is an added bonus.
The Verdict? Fans Will Pay Up for Quality
While no fan enjoys price hikes, Modern Warfare 2 has already sold over $1 billion in copies after just 10 days – proving players will dig deep for premium experiences from franchises they love.
With the Call of Duty name now synonymous with polished, big-budget FPS gameplay, Activision knows they have loyal fans willing to pay a premium for more – especially with Warzone‘s free-to-play base game lowering the barrier to entry for more casual players.
So while the new $70 price stings, the value seems justified for the level of quality and fun being delivered. As costs balloon making games of this caliber, increases were inevitable. And with whispers of a $70-priced PS5-exclusive mode still to come, this is likely just the beginning of higher next-gen software pricing across the board.
