No @Remiri, the reason people are leaving is because they see that the game is a trainwreck of poor QC. I have played plenty of MMOs, private server or official, over the last 12 years, some of them for years at a time and I can tell you quite honestly that people will stick around with a game that is working great but hasn’t had content updates in a while.
Players leaving due to no content updates is a slow, steady drip. Maybe a loss of 20% of the population over the course of a year.
Players leaving due to terrible quality and using it as a compass for the future of the game leave quickly and in large numbers, deciding it best not to invest their time in something that very well may burst into flames within a month.
The loss of players we have experienced over the last year has been in large clusters and in spikes. Usually following some absolutely inexcusable bug coming through maintenance. I think it’s clear what the primary reason is for people leaving. Hint: It’s not lack of content. It’s a poor-quality product.
The point I’m trying to make is game updates should not be rushed. The MAJORITY of people, I can say from years of observation and censusing, would rather play a stagnant, but very polished game, than a constantly-updating product held together with bubble gum and happy thoughts.