If WotC introduces lightsabers, blasters and the force they might alienate their existing fans, but they might also attract in a ton of Star Wars fans (And a massive lawsuit from Disney, but I digress) which could be acceptable if they still made acceptable profits.
WotC has already adapted this long ago. Not 100% one-to-one, of course, but in a modified form and you guys already mentioned some of it or encountered it in their Games:
lightsabers = Shadowblade (Mandos Darksaber) / Moonblade spells
blasters = ToBs Easter Egg the Big Metal Rod, or BG3s Crossbow of Arcane Force
the force = the Weave or monks Ki
Smoke powder is ok, even as a grenade, but using the next level of development as a firearm is too much in my humble opinion. It would also be a gross immersive design flaw as magic is already used in DnD as a power source after physical strength. This means that, unlike in our real world, no one should have the idea or need to generate propulsive power through dangerous explosive force.
It all depends on the measure. If you dose it well, I think it's fine, but if you overdo it and want to make an Arcanum or Planescape out of it, it's too much of a good thing with the Steam Punk influence. Even an Artificer class should be more like the A-Team, utilizing innovative low-tech inventions using existing materials rather than groundbreaking new discoveries. This is also much more in keeping with the spirit of Gond (e.g. water and steam propulsion and thus also in keeping with appropriate (Elemtar) magic).
Less is more!
This would be my recommendation, based on compromise, for "canonization". However, it is a matter for others to decide: I also puzzle all the time if there will be other versions of Kagha and Shadowheart or if they already are canon:
https://scryfall.com/card/clb/146/shadowheart-dark-justiciar https://scryfall.com/card/clb/279/kagha-shadow-archdruid
