This is not "insider info" but it's probably just because they don't want to take the risk of releasing an update which may then break a bunch of stuff and create new bugs which need fixing (using up Relic staff time.) The March patch broke Ardennes Assault and created some new bugs which then needed another patch to fix.
Working under Microsoft, they probably can't spare the staff if that was to happen. Though, the timing of it is kinda strange. 1-2 days immediately after the AOE4 announcement. You'd think for PR sake they would have bailed on the FBP some time ago, especially before the announcement.
As someone else pointed out, 4 years is a pretty good time to have been supporting Coh2 but it's frustrating pulling the plug on something (the FBP) with so much work put into it and great changes, when Coh2 is close to being in a much better state. It's also frustrating that our mod tools are so limited, so we can't do as much cool things like the guys over at Dawn of War 2 Elite.
The 1v1 scene will rapidly die I suspect, but 4v4's will live on for quite some time. I wish we at least got a really solid patch or two aimed at improving the larger team games.
Patch looks good, very happy with it overall. Only things that I can see for now which I am extremely concerned about is Miragefla's love for adding in cheesy abilities such as these.
ISG
• "Veterancy 1 range boost replaced by Hollow Charge Shot. This ability is an direct-fire targeted anti-vehicle attack that deals 120 damage and has 200 penetration. Costs 15 munitions."
This tracks moving targets, so it looks extremely rediculous as an artillery shell tracks a super-fast moving T-70 on a road. It also will be really frustrating for a tank to survive with one shot left and a tracking ISG shell random comes in and wipes it. This could be very abusable in 4v4 games, where arty spamming is normal, you get 4-5 ISG's and then you can wipe tanks.
IS-2 "• Veterancy 1 ‘Secure Point’ ability replaced with OF-471 Fragmentation Shell. This ability is a targeted ability that fires a HE shell that cover a large area, but low OHK radius also applies a mini-stun to vehicles hit. Ignores landscape and terrain."
Apparently it's not as bad as it sounds due to having a 4 second delay, so it's like a Mini sturmtiger shell. But this sounds cheesy and frustrating, you could place this on two Paks and then wipe them super easy with DSKK afterwards. AT guns are already pretty flimsy vs t he IS-2 due to massive armour, this will make them even more unreliable.
I don't think all these gimicky abilities is the way to balance things and artificially make units more interactive.
Forward Retreat Points drastically reduce the time it takes for squads to get back on the field after being forced to retreat. So if you are forced to retreat your entire blob by getting suppressed by a machine gun, you’re not as punished as you should be. Without forward retreat points, mass retreats would be more punishing and players would be encouraged to use individual squads more instead of blindly blobbing around the map.