I guess technically speaking I'm a grognard. I never fully understood the appellation though. I'm old. I played D&D and AD&D1e when they were new. Does that automatically make me a Grognard?
D&D lost me in 2e. Part of this was the mess that was their core books. Part of this was all the kitchen sink stuff in the "Complete" books that, as a young gamer, I felt compelled to embrace. I ended up leaving for lighter games in the 90s. I peeked at 2e Revised, 3e, and 4e, but never came back. Then in 2018, I was introduced to 5e and it has since become my main game.
This is partly because I love role-playing more than I love spending six months trying to get critical mass on my out-of-the-mainstream games. I list a single opening in a D&D game and I have half a dozen application by morning.
It's also partly that I've grown over the years. 5e is even more kitchen sink than 2e was, especially with the free and open exchanges happening in homebrew and 3rd party realms. But I'm well able to pick and choose these days. Just because Tasha's Incomprehensible Mess of Atrocities lists something, I don't have to allow it. This was not a mindset I had back then, and that one change has made me a better DM, and a happier DM.
But 5e is also better organized and structured than 2e was (which isn't saying much. Seriously, it was a mess from an editing standpoint.)
But what does this mean for the next edition? I haven't a clue. I haven't been paying attention. From what I've seen...
Feats are not optional? Yes they are. I'm the DM. Everything is optional. Problem solved. (But also I like feats.)
Inspiration is mandatory? No it's not. I'm the DM, everything is optional. (But I personally love Inspiration and wish myu players would remember to use it more often so I can give them more of it!)
Ancestries are all open ended or something? Did I read that somewhere? No they're not. I'm the DM, everything is optional. And while I do love a lot of things I've seen regarding ancestry vs. culture vs. heritage, I will continue to say that elves all share a commonality, as do dwarves, orcs, etc. It's just that can easily fit within as framework that includes culture and heritage as separate components.
So... Am I a grognard? Is WotC catering to me? Meh. I don't care. If the book is pretty and has cool stuff in it, I'll buy it. If it doesn't, I won't.