They clearly stated money was no worries. There are plenty of interviews and plenty of people who spoke out and said money was literally no issue here. Especially since the Gov also funded them.
No, their money is not well like it seems.
Here is the point, What make CDPR a valuable company?
They use TW series make a cheese that they can use half money and half time to build a AAA game, even one of the best.
If CDPR want to uprise a new step, they need to continue this mythology.
That means CP2077 need to be work out not too late, and it must earn great money, which not only cover the cost, but also support them to develop next AAA game.
The math is, if CP2077 release at 2020, it have to sell about 8~9million full rate copy to cover the cost, then plus 50% to earn the money for next game, since the cost always rise. If the borad need a great report form, 100% is better because that means they will have much money for CPOL, and look at GTA, successful OL mode is the true money maker.
If you read the news, the number is very close to the Next-Game-Deadline.
If CP delay, every year the cost rise 1~2million. That's means if the game delay to 2022, the much suitable day, the NGD increase to about 17million full rate copy, that's almost the top sale number of global market.
So, even the game prepared at 2022, it still a huge risk of failure, what if the game just sell 15million?
RDR2 actually not touch their goal, but they have GTA to keep company running, CDPR not have such thing.
So I hate the board, but understand their choice. If CP2077 fail at low level cost, they still have some room.
Look at now, the worst thing happened but CDPR still catch the NGD, which means another game aviliable, another chance to save the company.
If they fail at 2022, they might really need the help of Gov.