From an insider perspective, it makes sense that a majority of the player base prefers low gravity + crits because that's what they were introduced to when they joined the community. Removing them caused uncertainty and inconsistency among the players because they weren't sure what to expect from the servers anymore.
From an outsider's perspective, the pay-to-win environment is very toxic and unwelcoming. It has become the norm for regulars to flex their seniority on the servers as a means of intimidating and chasing away newcomers.
The main question is whether SwapShop is more worried about keeping the remaining players it has or if it wants to take a chance at attracting a wider range of players.