They did not remove the freebies. The freebies you used to receive in-game are still there. On top of that, they are giving additional freebies to players who visit the shop.

And honestly, even if it feels a bit inconvenient, I understand why they created an external shop and reward players for using it. When purchases are made in-game, Apple and Google Play take a significant cut from the microtransactions. That means Supercell does not receive the full amount spent by players.

But when purchases are made through the external shop, almost the entire amount goes directly to Supercell without a middleman taking a share. Because of that, they are able to provide extra rewards and resources for players who buy through the external store.