Most expensive action-adventure games ever made
The Last of Us Part II tops this ranking with $220 million, ahead of Shadow of the Tomb Raider (over $75 million) and The Lord of the Rings: Gollum ($15.9 million). Development budgets from court filings, publisher reports and serious press. 6 games ranked.
⚔ Higher or lower?
Which one cost more to make?
| # | Game | Number | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last of Us Part IIDevelopment cost only (excluding marketing), Sony document from FTC v. Microsoft | $220 million | June 2023 | Game Developer |
| 2 | Shadow of the Tomb RaiderProduction cost only: $75–100M range (excluding ~$35M promotion) | over $75 million | May 2018 | GamesIndustry.biz |
| 3 | The Lord of the Rings: GollumProduction budget ("around 15 million euros") | $15.9 million | October 2023 | IGN |
| 4 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of LibertyEstimated development budget | $10 million | November 2001 | GameSpot |
| 5 | A Way OutDevelopment funding provided by EA (EA Originals program) | $3.7 million | June 2017 | VentureBeat |
| 6 | MagickaDevelopment budget (approx.) | $400,000 | August 2011 | Game Developer (Gamasutra) |
Related rankings
- Best-selling action-adventure games
- Best-rated action-adventure games
- Longest action-adventure games to beat
- Action-adventure games with the biggest Steam player peaks
- Most played action-adventure games
- The most expensive video games ever made
- Most expensive RPGs ever made
- Most expensive shooters ever made
- Most expensive open-world games ever made
Think you know gaming numbers? 5 questions a day, a slider, a leaderboard.
PLAY TODAY'S MISSION