The oldtimers would drift slightly more and more out of sync with all of the newbies, the newbies would gradually become the oldtimers, that's just the way it goes.
Circle of internet life, you know?
They're probably looking at this attack as ripping off the bandaid. No need to have generated so much ill will, but the owners of Reddit, (not the users) have decided they want to go forcefully in a certain direction and they do not care who they have to trample to go that way.
To that I say, "Godspeed, and go die in a fire", but whatever. I'm enjoying the comedown from my Reddit addiction. I find myself reaching for my phone when I'm bored and realizing I deleted the app and have no instant dopamine buttons available.
Change is good, and if you can't change with it then change in another way, right?