CD Projekt has had a controversy-laden development cycle bringing Cyberpunk 2077 to release. Controversies including constant public scrutiny due to studio-wide crunch, accusations of anti-LGBT game content and marketing, and the rushed and unfinished state of Cyberpunk 2077 at launch are just some big examples. However, it seems controversy is set to follow CD Projekt even as it works to correct Cyberpunk 2077 launch issues, as a new report reveals massive bonuses being given to CD Projekt's board members.
According to reporting from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, publisher CD Projekt is set to deliver $28 million in bonuses to the company's five board members. That's nearly equivalent to the $29.8 million set aside for development studio CD Projekt Red's 865 employees. The extreme amount, especially in comparison to the amount Cyberpunk 2077's lower-level employees will receive, is being questioned as appropriate or not given the botched launch of Cyberpunk 2077 and criticism of CD Projekt's project management.
In fact, CD Projekt co-CEO Adam Kiciński was said to have been directly asked in an investor call this past week if the board's bonuses were "appropriate." Kiciński responded that, "We earned this money and the company earned this money, of course, but more net profits, more bonuses." Kiciński is referring to Cyberpunk 2077's record-breaking sales at launch despite the game's quality and reception. Total sales of the game are believed to be nearly 14 million in 2020 alone, with refund programs apparently being rarely used by buyers. As such, Cyberpunk 2077 was hugely successful monetarily, even with its disastrous launch. "We have results, we get bonuses, and that's the contract we have," said Kiciński.
There's obviously plenty of truth to Kiciński's comments. Cyberpunk 2077 was hugely successful despite its massive controversies. The issue, however, that many fans and members of the industry are having is the difference in treatment between board members and the hundreds of developers at CD Projekt Red. Many of these developers dedicated years of their lives to a game they trusted leadership to ensure Cyberpunk 2077 came together for a great game. Those developers will receive a token bonus for their loyalty, while the leadership that chose not to delay Cyberpunk 2077 and forced months of crunch, will lifetimes' worth of standard developer pay in bonuses for a broken game their decisions crippled. And as such, those company leaders have no reason to change strategies for the next project.
Of the board members, co-CEOs of parent company CD Projekt Adam Kiciński and Marcin Iwiński will receive $6.3 million each, with CDPR game director and board member Adam Badowski receiving $4.2 million. Cyberpunk 2077's game developers, on the other hand, will receive an average of $34,000, with base-level employees making $5,00 to $9,000, senior-level employees receiving $15,000 to $20,000, and managers and directors picking up much larger amounts.
CD Projekt Red is currently hard at work developing fixes for Cyberpunk 2077's many remaining launch issues, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game, as well as three apparent DLC packs planned for 2021.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.
