Their writer PR guy had to defend this massive time sink of PFH series on Twitter from the likes of us.
I've noticed the subreddit is having a field day with that stuff. Because of course there's no target more convenient to hit than strawman not hitting back.
I don't think many people were ACTUALLY concerned about the PFH "slowing down development" in general, so it's a clarification that doesn't really solve anything.
Personally what I don't like about them is that all this pageantry creates a filter that slow down any direct communication. When instead of talking to your community on a regular basis about what you are working on and what's coming you need to have a once-in-a -blue-moon over-produced variety show filled with awkward gags, how can that NOT be the case?
Case in point: we have a show in two days to promote the upcoming update and no one has the faintest clue of what it's supposed to introduce, aside for the bard class.
EDIT- Then again, this is the type of content that gets quickly popular there (well, that and massive simping brigades):
