I believe the last 2 updates  set the ceiling too high for the majority of players.

The faction guardian system didn't address the player issue of getting repeated unwanted duplicates from the jackpot system in shard summons.

In a game that pitches about being able to collect over 400 heroes, there aren't many mechanisms in place to help you get there and it quickly becomes a trap which each legendary hero costing around $200 to get, with duplicates a constant reality. I think the sacrifice system is a slap in the face and a total disrespect towards customers and their money.

Faction guardians is just another mechanism used to justify being able to get multiple copies of the same hero.

The next issue is the hydra clan boss. It's obvious which heroes are powerful for these bosses and it's very different to the rest of the game, with the emphasis being placed on block buff debuffs and heroes that activate special abilities on certain debuffs, eg inquisitor. This in itself isn't bad but the game is catered to players who can afford and build multiple copies of these specific heroes since it locks out the heroes used in each attempt.

Most clans can't get past the first boss, so im not too sure if this content will see the financial return.

This comes to my closing statement. No one asked for empowerment, faction guardians, the 8-1 legendary trade system and hydra.

People wanted a way to stop getting duplicate legendaries.

Doom Tower was a great addition as it allowed players to get resources, even ftp players could do some of the content.

Hydra on the other hand seems to frustrate players. I've only got 1/3rd of my clan bothering with it now.