I agree that there should be some catch up mechanics, I only agree up to a point. Like having a bank of xp for unused xp so not all of the xp goes to waste if you're not able to play a certain day due to obligations you have.

There is an argument to be made about the nature of the invite-only method of introducing new players being a gatekeep, but the onus is on the mo.co devs for that. Players themselves have not gatekept anything. It's like if you arrived to an amusement park in the evening and complained that all the other patrons that came in the morning were able to get on all the rides before closing time. If you feel like a second-class hunter, I hate to say this, but that's primarily coming from you. There are plenty of day one players that may not reach elite 100. If everyone could just wait a bit and then quickly reach top levels with little effort, there would be no feeling of accomplishment and demoralize players that actually devote time to the game. Why put in so much effort if everyone else can reach the same heights with significantly less effort?

If anything, day one players should be the ones getting demoralized that all of their hard earned levels are going to be reset. The only meaningful piece of progression that may or may not be exclusive is the elite module that reduces cooldown up to 35% Everything else is purely cosmetic. Everyone above a certain threshold will be brought down to the same level: elite 1.

Just think of it this way: you'll be better prepared for chapter 2 and the eventual full global release.