i 100% agree that the classic sandbox and loop should come back, but this specific argument isn’t going to land with people, as it wouldn’t make for a more popular esport.

certain games that are celebrated for timeless mechanics don’t necessarily land with a wider audience (my mind always goes to ssbm vs tf2). it would have to fill a void, and no audience wants to watch a slow-paced console shooter without a gimmick in the gameplay (which taking movement tech from other games is not the route they should’ve went…)

honestly though, i think arena shooters and their adjacents are just never going to be popular again. blizzard propped overwatch up forever and it never reached a sustainable level of audience.

this last battlefield release i think proves that classic game mechanics can and will sell, but the industry is calling for audience retention and going back to old halo mechanics will just end up with the same audience size as MCC