To me, they really made MSFS2020 more of a "game" than previous iterations which brought in wider audience I think (which has its plusses and minuses). I see a lot of your typical "gamers" on Twitch live-streaming MSFS2020 occasionally more than I ever have before, lots of people like it, there just isn't a ton in it to keep their attention. In 2024 they're gamifying it a bit more with the missions and such, giving more casual players who don't download addons and scenery like RTMM more things to do instead of flying from point A to B or flying over the pyramids for the 20th time. So.. I'm really not shocked that they're doing this, 4 years is a pretty decent amount of time in between installments. And as you said it helps fund development.
If you take a look at release patterns in video gaming, you'll get a new shooter like Call of Duty every year as they go for that cash grab (and results in some pretty lifeless and hollow games).
I'm just glad that they're making almost everything compatible between the versions it sounds like, otherwise I think this might have ticked off a lot more people. We'll see what it means for the addon scenery though.