It’s the fact they even touch the code. Unacceptable. Too much risk.
Discussion
They simplified the code. The op return limit was being circumvented by direct to miner submission which is not good for bitcoin. They don’t want to have to keep adjusting the limits as bad novel forms of bad behavior appears on the network. Run knots if you want to filter your relay or set your own parameters with core. As long as the consensus says op return is valid at any size it’s better to have relays of all transactions propagate across the network.
"They simplified the code".
How's pivoting now?
Removing things from the code is simplification. It’s not a pivot it is a fact. Every feature in the code requires(or should require) testing. The fewer features the less likely there will be issues that get missed during testing.