the main issue will be if they do a major API update right before they do it. Remember the great "flattening"? We lost many great mods when they did that because of the amount of changes they did to base code while simultaneously changing every ID in the game, while forge was also actively undergoing a major API change in how it worked. So as a result many mods stopped being developed at 1.12.

If they did a massive API rewrite right before fully ending support for java, the community will either have to accept another divide or completly forgo the new update and stay locked on the previous.

Not sure if that is a good thing. Some of the best mods came out of someone finding a mod taking too long to update or the creator deciding to skip a version. They then created a new mod to fill that same role, and in some cases becoming the new defacto for that role.

Change is good for creativity, imo.

"added in the past decade" is 1.9 to now (1.8.9 released on 9/12/2015, 1.9 released on 29/2/2016).

Things "that anyone really wanted" (By which I mean the highlights of Minecraft additions):

• in 1.9.x:
  • The offhand and shields
  • Attack cooldown
  • Mending
  • Elytra (fireworks didn't work on them until 1.11.1)
  • Removed Herobrine
• in 1.11.x:
  • Shulker boxes
  • Totems of undying
  • Observers
  • Firework elytra boosting
• in 1.12.x:
  • Concrete
  • Recipe book
• in 1.13.x:
  • Swimming
  • Bubble columns
  • Phantoms
• in 1.14.x:
  • Rerolling villager trades
  • Other villager improvements
  • Raid farming for renewable totems and easy emeralds
• in 1.16.x:
  • Netherite
  • Piglin bartering
  • Fast automatic food farm (Hoglins)
• in 1.17.x:
  • Moss
  • Copper
  • Waxed Lightly Weathered Cut Copper Stairs
• in 1.19.x:
  • Sculk sensors
  • Allays (Non-stackable item sorting)
• in 1.20.x:
  • Calibrated sculk sensor
  • Amethyst sculk resonance
  • Bamboo wood
  • Armour trims
• in 1.21.x:
  • Crafter
  • Bundle
  • Happy ghast
  • Shelf
  • Copper golem

ㅤ

Mods? The features I think mods probably would not have done equally or better, or would not have come up with something as unique, are:

• Offhand
• Removing Herobrine
• Raid farms
• Piglins
• Sculk sensors

ㅤ

Others that idk whether qualify for the list:

• Mending
• Recipe book
• Villager overhaul
• Moss

ㅤ

(I'm talking hypothetically about mods here because I have not played old modded (or old versions at all, the first Minecraft version I played was 1.13))

(This is just my opinion combined with comunity reception of things, I'm not trying to argue)