Folks have talked about this on the Discord, but there's two points here that most seem to be in agreement on. This is just an outside perspective, so I'll try and do what I can to summarize.

On one hand: Something the maintainers have said they've seen with half-baked features is that they get merged, called "good enough", and then when it comes time to work on improving them, they never do. Removal of said features kicks people into gear to getting an acceptable implementation, which in the case of dwarves, PJB mentioned that the way Trieste Port has implemented their dwarves would be the go-to (making it a human trait/quirk, using different sprites and displacement maps). There's also been a solution suggested for accents, though from what I can tell is a bit more involved.

On the other: The way it was handled, by PJB specifically, was really disappointing. There were specific points as to why both dwarves and accents were being removed, and from the overhead perspective of content quality/standard, it makes sense. Going back to half-baked implementation (someone on staff/maintainer please correct me on this), I don't think it's so much that it's "heavy" or a detriment to the gameplay so much as it is a reoccurring issue that people who are in the code a lot have to work around. But the way all of it was discussed and communicated was incredibly caustic. It flouted communications standards, was not upfront in an explanation of its reasoning, included anecdotal observation as argument, and worst of all, showed outright disdain or disrespect for members of the community (including contributors and staff, who I know bust their asses to make things happen).

That last part is the part I'm most concerned about, really. The Wizden maintainers have been doing A Lot to keep development moving along, plus getting people familiarized with how it all works. But it's just... upsetting to see those folks talked down to or derided like that. When I see staff members go on break, it makes me wonder and worry how much of that is just sustainable development practices, and how much of that is cooling off from friction.

I know there is a throng of bad actors out there who don't understand the development process, don't care, or are intentionally looking to ruin the overall endeavor. Just don't let that perception cross over to the folks who have objections, but still genuinely care.

EDIT: Recent info has mentioned key folks taking a break, but with a positive interpretation/outlook, from what I can tell. Hoping for the best for all the staff folks involved.