I would be very interested to know what DefCon's budget for the badges is, and how much latitude was built in for things like chip shortages, rush shipping, etc. A big project like this, especially during major geopolitical strive, could have all sorts of unforseen complications. DefCon has been around the block a few times and should know how to handle things. But without details, it's impossible to know for sure.
This one seemed a bit riskier, using the new Raspberry Pi microcontroller that's not even for sale yet. Granted, the parts were probably donated, but getting the timelines right must have been a concern.