Variant & Criterion Dungeons

[Jojoya]

You literally just said it, content that gives gear/power rewards. As long as content gives power, people will do said content hence why for long lived content to be important, you need to put power rewards in it.

Criterion could easily be long lived in the same way m+ was in WoW, gear becomes the incentive while also doing content you enjoy.

Variant rewards tomestones. I received both Causality and Astronomy for the clear, and additional Astronomy for the first time bonus.

I find it difficult to believe that Criterion doesn't likewise reward at least the same amount if not more.

There's your gear rewards. It's not instant gratification but you will get something eventually. It remains to be seen if SE will upgrade the tomestones when the new one comes out in 6.4 but at the very least we should still be getting Causality at that point.