Summoner players were the loudest voice coming from within that led to their split, and there no small amount of Bards who want their focus to be on music. There are also a lot of "Bards" who got roped into the class despite being originally sold on the premise that they would be archers on the Character Creation screen. I imagine those players will jump at the chance to play Ranger and leave the song magic behind. A love of class lore is probably one of the weakest attractions to the class as it is now, and would hardly be missed if it was altered to fit a new gameplay kit.

The same pieces that were on the board then are here again now. I can see history repeating itself easily with an eventual rework, one that comes far too late in the game's life cycle but still warranted nevertheless.