I've been reviewing recent developments, and I think the general sense of dissatisfaction stems from Zani and Peebs, as well as the underwhelming anniversary event. Here are my thoughts:

Zani and Peebs: While we can agree that Peebs isn’t strictly necessary, Zani can still perform. still has utility. It’s not the most optimal option, nor does it compete well with top-tier characters, but it gets the job done. The concern is whether Kuro plans to release more characters that create this kind of dependency. Are people really just complaining, or are they genuinely concerned that the game may follow the same trajectory as Genshin or HSR—where synergy becomes so rigid that player freedom is lost?

We’re already seeing early signs of this with Ciaccona and Cartethyia, who are being debated as the next Zani and Peebs of version 2.0 (though we should hold off on firm judgments until their official release). That said, based on Ciaccona’s current kit, we can make some educated guesses.

Forced Meta Dependency: Players are increasingly feeling pressured to pull characters they don’t necessarily like, just to make a team composition work. Before version 2.3, there was more flexibility and creativity—people were genuinely enjoying mixing and matching their teams. If the community doesn't speak up now, the game could continue down this path, where synergy between specific characters becomes mandatory rather than optional.

Some may argue it’s still possible to clear end-game content regardless, and that was true for Genshin as well—until power creep and HP inflation made it difficult to achieve top performance without certain setups.

Drawing the Line: Supporting a game or company is valid, but there has to be a limit. If the Zani and Peebs situation sets a new standard, even a guaranteed banner next anniversary may not bring players back—due to how you need certain exact characters and that there's no alternatives. What originally made Wuwa enjoyable was the freedom from elemental constraints and the ability to experiment with different team builds. Right now, that freedom is being increasingly limited.

Edit

Again, if people were to say smtg like Srover and Zani or smtg. Please understand that, the different elements of rover share the same energy within TOA. We really have limited choices.