Was CoD's "Slop Era" Rollback Part Of The Plan?

Activision just ditched one of their most consumer-friendly policies, and it was met with applause! Mostly. With the subtlety of a sledgehammer, they've removed all existing garish cosmetics for Black Ops 7, a short-term PR win, but will they follow through on their promised grounded identity?

Was CoD's "Slop Era" Rollback Part Of The Plan?