I don't buy what Inno is saying one bit. They didn't want to "create a more meaningful PvP experience", they wanted to make money. that's all they ever want.
You say this like it's a bad thing. I want Inno to make money, and lots of it. By doing so, they can afford to keep adding cool new features to the game and keep expanding existing features with new ages, new Settlements, new GE prizes and new Events. On top of that, Inno continues to allow players, like me, to play the game 100% for free, something I've done from the beginning.
I also think this has the potential to "create a more meaningful PvP experience." As it stand today, I win the PvP tower almost every week without event trying or even paying attention to it. With the change, I will have to pay attention to it in order to win. And if I don't like it, I can ignore it. Certainly nothing to get my panties in a twist over.
So if they add this to the game they will lose customers and money. At the very least nobody would spend money on it making it useless. So if Inno is wise they will not release this
I wish I had 100 diamonds for every time someone has predicted the demise of the game over each change or new feature. I'd be right up there with the pay to play players. What's that mean? Inno's wisdom about what's good for the game far exceeds yours, or mine.
Given the money invested in the development of this new feature so far, Inno will absolutely release it on live. There may be some tweaks while on Beta, but a new PvP is coming, like it or not.