I am new here so I just have to ask this. Did Splinterlands try to adjust the so-called" inflationary rating system" before they come to this Power Level Lock idea? Cuz it all looks like the rating system isn't properly balanced for inflation to happen. A proper ranking system wouldn't have inflation problem, cuz it'd actually put Silver level players to silver league without the need of anything else -- and maybe the more skillful silver players would get gold by using silver cards better than most, but certainly not everyone of them would get to champions like now.
Now it just all sounds like "we don't know how to solve our faulty rating system that is actually giving out free ratings so everyone go up, so let's just roll in a hard block mechanic".
I remember reading about some sort of adjustment. I think it only impacted Champion tier players though. I don't know for sure how broad it was, but I didn't notice any changes personally.