I do not know if that´s what you guys are talking about:
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dungeons-and-dragons-expansion-tashas-cauldron-of-everything"Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything adds an optional way of creating a character where players can choose from a selection of traits to create a custom linage. If you want to make the archetypical elf, a hypothetical character Crawford jokingly named “Elfy McElferson,” you can. However, “if your elf skipped longsword practice and lacks longsword proficiency and speaks a language other than Elvish and has a bonus to Charisma,” that’s now a valid option"
"Lineage” options, which allow players to adjust the features and ability modifiers traditionally associated with a character’s race or species. “If a person wants to play Elfy McElferson from the PHB, they still can,” Crawford laughs. “But if you want your elf to have skipped longbow training, or speak a language other than elvish and have a bonus to charisma instead of dexterity, Tasha’s Cauldron is going to give you the ability to do that – and to do it very easily.”
We have to know how it would be in practice when we have the book, but the way Jeremy Crawford phrased it It looks like the race would become simply the looks of your character since you can change the racial stats, languages and features to your liking.
I have to point out that Crawford specifically stated that you can change things like proficiencies or languages, not only stats.
I think its intended to really only be culture features that get changed, weapon, languages, skill and tool profiencies, plus stat mods not stuff like Darkvision, resistances/immunities, keen senses, trance, Halflings luck, ect... , with options potenially tied to different origins (backgrounds).
Of course the Blank Slate Lineage Template is basically a make your own race mechanic, so likely banned in AL.
I agree with the disguisted distain for the woke mob comparing black folks to orcs, or accusing Kara Tur of being racist, but this was largely done before the current cultural mess, so I'm willing to give it ashot and at least the rest of the book is going to be awesome. Although TCoE is absolutely 5.4e, aka the beginning of 5e phase 2 (along with the Forgotten Realms getting Magic the Gathering set in 2021, BG3 & Dark Alliance, and a FR movie, ect...).
