The current state of AE and slid nerfs have not removed the skill gap. I doubt you became an average skilled player overnight when the changes were implemented. Lack of rewards will ensure the player pool dies off pretty quickly. SBMM in control, and freelance and flawless pools in Trials already proves high skilled players don’t want to sweat. They want plenty of weak players to destroy to make matches easier. Also it has proven that the nearer you get to the top the worse the connections are. So unless people in the Ascended division are getting matched with players 2-3 divisions below them, their match making times will increase and lag will get worse. With no tangible rewards in game to show off the mode will die off near the top as they seek more rewarding (Trials) or easier playing grounds (anywhere else). I had two worries at the begging of the TWAB. Exclusive, high powered rewards at the top (the rich get richer) like the pinnacle weapons of old. And if there are cool rewards there will be increased ways to glitch, cheat, or buy their way to those rewards. The former was already addressed by Bungie. The latter may be unavoidable 100% of the time, as there will always be cheaters and people willing to pay for exclusive or hard to get stuff. Bungie is in a constant game of “wack a mole” to keep them as limited as they are even now.