first of all, tell me what kind of substances you consume !! )))
but seriously i dont have low expectations ,i wish for a really major update that improve cubase in many aspects, more than the regular annual updates, but i still get my expectations ānormalā not low or too high as you describe it in your posts here, you are very enthusiastic about it, as if you know whatās coming, or just have your expectations really āhighā 
please just fix the bugs
i dont want to learn new DAW ever
Annual upgrade fee, just to fix bugs, sounds like a subscription to me
from reFX
Steinberg has informed us that they are discontinuing the USB-eLicenser and soft-eLicenser technology as of January 1st, 2022. Steinberg will maintain the server handling those services for a grace period of six months until June 30th, 2022. After that period, Steinberg reserves the right to shut down the server at its sole discretion.
Unfortunately, this move is beyond our control and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.
IMPORTANT: YOUR NEXUS2 WILL CONTINUE TO WORK, EVEN AFTER THE SERVER HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN.
However, once the server has been shut down, it will no longer be possible to download new licenses to any USB-eLicenser or transfer licenses stored on a USB-eLicenser to a different USB-eLicenser. This means if your USB-eLicenser containing your NEXUS2 license gets damaged, you will not be able to transfer it to a new USB-eLicenser.
what that means for all our legacy licences and dongles and older versions of productsā¦ who knows ?
the usual stellar communication from SB to itās customers
(quickly puts spare USB eLicensers up on eBay)
I think itās time Steinberg made an announcement ā¦
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If itās true then this is a giant step for Steinberg. The idea of having a dongle is just so strange to me in 2021, I understand the reasons but I also look at how everyone else does it.
That said, there could be a new dongle 
what is convenient with the dongle is that you can install cubase on several machines (at work, at home, at a friendās placeā¦). And work in different places on desktop computers. Of course itās no use if you work on a laptop because you can take it anywhere you want.
The Cubase Farm 
You own the orchard, they bring the bugs, and make you pay for pesticides.
Happy Farming! 
But pretty accurate speculation based on whatās just been announced!
Indeed, I have waded in there with my tin hat and blinkers on like a crazed bull in the streets of Pamplona and quarter-read snippets of the good speculation. Lol. Iāve now took the helmet off and am watching patiently at the sidelines. 
Iāll wade in again,
So itāll be something like Waves Central then, but with 2 workstations max. Iām OK with that.
Well I just ordered one of those new MacBook Proās so this is excellent news. Probably the best thing steinberg have done in years.
Next thing is they need to get the download assistant to be more intelligent as to what you have installed and what you downloaded so you donāt double download or double installā¦ā¦you know like most other download center software.
we donāt know - lots of questions remain to be answered
eg
What happens to the e-licenser long term ?
What happens to legacy licences once the e-licenser servers are switched off ?
What happens to people with multiple licences across several e-licencers but tied to one account - how will the licences be allocated at āloginā - will it just grab what it can ?
Will legacy licences tied to an e-licenser be eligible for upgrades ?
How do you do a licence transfer ?
Can you āsellā licences ?
Will you be able to move licences between e-licencers after the e-licencer servers are depreciated ?
Who pays for the transfer of 3rd party licences to new systems ?
What happens in the future if e-licensers are lost or damaged ?
etc etc
this āmightā be great - but remember this is Steinbergā¦so it might also turn into a bug-ridden nightmare.
Iām sure itāll all be fine.
Seems like a slow a careful transition.
Some of your questions are speculatively answered here.
How well they do it is never a given, but better that itās done than not in this case,
in my useless opinion.
maybe - have you been following the BFD3 licensing fiascoā¦sounds surprisingly similar 
we shall seeā¦and yes Iāve read that but it doesnāt specifically answer the question I listed (and I have more !)
The thing I donāt fully understand is that the current protection scheme allows dongle free operation.
Things like the LE versions run quite happily on a software elicencer. SB made a decision, for whatever reason, to not allow the Pro versions of the software to use this.
It seems to me that they could have allowed a transfer of Pro licences to a soft-elicencer. Result non-dongle people happy - dongle people happy - win/win ā¦and saved the potential car crash that is just around the cornerā¦ but again, itās Steinbergā¦and they move in mysterious ways
I donāt know all the technical ins and outs, but good point. I did kind of wonder that myself.
Total speculation, but perhaps the eLicenser system has other issues weāre not aware of and is better scrapped for some effects it has on Cubase itselfā¦?
Itās all about steinberg growning. They need to get people at the bottom end easily so they get familiar with the software and then turn them into customers down the line.
So what ever they are doing is based around that.
So they will make sure it works. There might be some people that lose out or have to pay something but I suspect their policy on dealing with it will expand and in 2 years time there will no more discussions on this topic.
In Steinberg we trust.
that may be true - but theyāve had over two decades to resolve that little problem so I suspect the drive to do this is elsewhere.